The Slave of an Uchiha
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: After Sasuke kills Orochimaru, he makes a deal with Kabuto: he will bring Orochimaru back, but only as a slave. Kabuto is left with an impossible choice: slave forever, or dead in Sasuke's mind? OroKabuKabuOro, SasuOro  MAJOR SPOILERS FOER CHAPTER 344.
1. Chapter 1: Death

**A/N: I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, and it's been floating around in my head for a long time. Now, I'm finally putting it to…er, Internet, and you can all marvel at the beauty. So…here's the first chapter…?**

"You didn't kill him!"

_A voice screaming in denial…but whose was it? Kabuto had no idea._

"You didn't kill him!"

_There was nothing he could do. Warm blood soaked his fingers, a painful reminder of what had happened._

"Tell me you didn't kill him-!"

_The resounding crack could be heard throughout the room, and possibly into the next. Kabuto was thrown to the floor by the punishing hand that had just spilled the blood of the person Kabuto had lived for…up until now._

"Shut up, you piece of crap. Orochimaru was useless to me now. He had to go."

_"You're blind! I loved him!"_

_Kabuto wasn't even sure if the person was him, or someone else altogether. But from the sound slaps he was getting, he was fairly certain it was he._

"_I loved him and you murdered him!"_

_Sasuke shrugged and kicked the kneeling medic in the ribs._ "Too bad."

_Kabuto's sobs were wracking his entire body now. This was one thing he could never hide: his love for Orochimaru. And now he was gone…Sasuke had imprisoned him in his own mind._

"Take me instead! Let him go!"

_Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. Once Kabuto had calmed down, he would listen to him. But for now, Kabuto needed to sleep and try to better absorb the shock. He kicked Kabuto on the back of the neck, expertly knocking out the sobbing medic. Sighing, he simply walked away._

_If Kabuto was going to absorb the shock, he better get used to seeing the body._

That was then. Now, Kabuto sat quietly in his room, idly fingering the edges of a piece of paper he had found in Orochimaru's room. A last plea for help, something he hoped would have gotten to Kabuto sooner…maybe if Sasuke had left him alive and Kabuto found the note…it was his fault.

"Done moping yet?"

Sasuke stood in the doorway, one hand resting on his left hip. Kabuto glanced up, saw that it was him, and looked back to the piece of paper.

"Don't make me come over there."

"Don't make me get up."

Kabuto sounded so crushed Sasuke almost regretted killing Orochimaru. Well, technically the bitch wasn't dead. But sure as hell he wasn't here anymore. And that was why Kabuto was moping…

Sasuke sighed and walked over to Kabuto watching the other male flinch away when he heard Sasuke's footsteps.

"I can bring him back."

"What's the catch?"

Well, at least Kabuto had retained his brains...so Sasuke would give him a quick, direct answer. "He remains my slave for the rest of his life."

Kabuto sharply looked up at Sasuke. "In other words, my own selfish desires or Orochimaru-sama?"

"Hey, he might want a second chance at life. "He may not screw it up so bad this time." Sasuke stood up, leaving Kabuto speechless with rage. "Think about it. You have a week before I crush this annoyance-and you, for that matter."

Kabuto gasped. _No…_his worst nightmare was coming true…

"If the only other option is death, then bring him back!"

Sasuke smirked. _Well, that was easy. Now for the jutsu…and I need a decent body. Well, those shouldn't be hard to come by._

Sasuke slipped through the lair, heading for the dungeons. He knew Orochimaru kept…a lot down there, really, and he might have stashed a spare body down there as well. He hoped it would be easy enough to find one; he wasn't in the mood for any crap, and he just wanted this over with.

Well, there were two ways to do this: ask people, or just pull someone random. Well, try screaming at people first. It worked with Kabuto.

OOOOOOOOO

Kabuto almost started when the door slammed open.

Sasuke threw someone down in the room with a curt, "Clean him up," and walked away again, slamming the door-again

Long black hair…dead white skin…

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Kabuto had the sannin in his arms in a second, picking him up, pressing him to his chest, gently kissing him-

"Kabuto…why would you bring me back to live like this…?"

"Sasuke was going to kill you if I didn't bring you back," Kabuto whispered. "And I thought that maybe you could do it differently this time…so you could get Sasuke's body after all…"

Orochimaru sighed. "Yes, dying wasn't my original plan...and I was sick to begin with."

Kabuto nodded. "D-Did I make the right choice…?"

Orochimaru sighed. "I suppose so…but we have to do this quickly."

Kabuto nodded again and pulled Orochimaru up, feeling the blood soaking his hands as he did so. "You're hurt…!"

Orochimaru simply nodded. Kabuto sighed and half-dragged, half-carried Orochimaru to the bathroom. He set Orochimaru down on the closed toilet lid and began hunting for bandages and some sort of ointment. Orochimaru sat quietly, thinking over his current situation. In a way, Sasuke had made a critical mistake. By keeping Orochimaru as close as a slave, Orochimaru had just about free access to…anything, really, and he could probably pick up information. He could assassinate Sasuke with a bit of help…fairly easily, actually. But he had to do it quickly. If Sasuke planned to bind him with some sort of jutsu, he was helpless. Unless Kabuto…

"Orochimaru-sama, I'm going to need to see your stomach."

Orochimaru understood what Kabuto meant and pulled his shirt off. Kabuto crouched down and began wiping the blood off, trying to see where the actual wounds lay. Orochimaru tried to hide his flinches of pain, as they would only worry Kabuto, but when the ninja came to the bruise on his stomach where Sasuke had kicked him especially hard, he couldn't help but whimper. Green chakra immediately glowed around Kabuto's hands, and he healed the mark-and the broken ribs that lay underneath. He began to whisper soothing words to Orochimaru as he worked, knowing the sannin was in pain. He couldn't stand this-Orochimaru was in so much pain, and he knew he couldn't completely erase it, only ease it for the time being. And then Sasuke would come back and imprint fresh marks on Orochimaru's beautiful, flawless skin, and Kabuto's heart would break for Orochimaru once again.

"Kabuto…"

Kabuto looked up at Orochimaru's face and wiped a bit of blood from his cheek. "What?"

"What are we going to do…in the meantime?"

Kabuto sighed. "I don't know…I just don't know…"

Orochimaru seemed to think this over for a moment. "Well…I guess we could just go along with whatever happens…it might not be that bad…"

"Or it could be horrible!" Kabuto cried. "Orochimaru-sama, Sasuke only needs a few hours to break you completely! He knows your weaknesses-and after being with you for so long, who wouldn't? Sasuke might have found out who knows what and made them talk-it's not safe to-!"

"Not safe to what?"

Kabuto turned around. Sasuke was standing in the doorway, the most damnable smirk on his face. "You're right, in a way. I don't need much time to break him. But you're wrong in that I know that much…I never really cared about Orochimaru, just his jutsu. And I was only in it for Itachi, really. Once I get my revenge I was just planning to leave. But then I found out Orochimaru was still going to try for my body, and I realized something had to be done to prevent that. And so, I moved to kill him. But he was being a real pain in the ass, so I decided I would make it difficult for you and leave his fate in Kabuto's hands. I knew Kabuto's love for Orochimaru would cloud his judgment, and putting a time limit on only doubled, maybe even tripled, the pressure, further clouding Kabuto's mind. I disrupted his thinking by introducing him to the mutilated body just after the trauma was introduced, and it seemed to work fairly well. I beat some sense into Orochimaru, and I knew that would really kill Kabuto even more, seeing his precious Orochimaru kicked around a bit."

Kabuto pulled Orochimaru into his arms as he stood up. "What do you want? Just leave him alone!"

Sasuke smiled and stepped forward, catching Orochimaru's hair. Kabuto froze, afraid to hurt Orochimaru by trying to get him out of the way. Sasuke pulled Orochimaru out of Kabuto's arms and into his own, wrapping his arms around the other male's shoulders and sliding one pale hand into the arch of Orochimaru's back. Sasuke tipped Orochimaru's face up to his own, taking a good look at his features. There was sress, of course; a bit of trauma, concern, and...something else...fear...Orochimaru couldn't help it; his heart began to pound, his breathing picked up, sweat dripped down his spine into the small of his back-he fought down a whimper as Sasuke applied more pressure than was comfortable to a particularly nasty bruise. As Sasuke leaned down over the trembling sannin, he realized how badly Orochimaru was shaking. Why…? This man was supposed to be the fearless sannin, the heartless ruler of Otokagure-

"Let him go!"

Sasuke ignored Kabuto completely and pressed his lips to Orochimaru's. Kabuto didn't know what to think…now he knew what Sasuke's intentions were. This wasn't going to be pretty…this whole affair wasn't going to end well...

As Sasuke pulled back from Orochimaru, he felt the sannin grow heavy in his arms. Sighing with annoyance, he threw Orochimaru back to the ground.

"You're pathetic."

Kabuto gathered Orochimaru in his arms again, watching Sasuke's movements carefully. If the younger ninja decided to attack-

"I want him back in an hour."

Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief as Sasuke walked out and held Orochimaru close. The trembling was terrible; Orochimaru was visibly shaking, and probably because he knew what was coming. Kabuto began to whisper calming words to him, occasionally kissing him and constantly running his hands through the other's hair. Orochimaru seemed to be responding to the gentle touches and caresses; his trembling was slowly fading. Kabuto heaved out another sigh of relief; he was finally calming Orochimaru down.

But he only had an hour to keep him that way.

Then Sasuke would come back…and there would be nothing he could do.

OOOOOOOOO

Kabuto was still sitting with Orochimaru. After another few minutes of trying to quiet Orochimaru down again, the sannin finally allowed Kabuto to start bandaging his wounds. But he was still frightened if Kabuto made any sudden moves, and he seemed flighty and on edge.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru glanced down at Kabuto. The genin was wrapping bandages around his torso, and was kneeling to do so. Kabuto looked up as he finished and continued,

"I have a plan to hold off Sasuke long enough for you to take his body."

**A/N: Well, that's that. Please review, I think this is going to turn out really well. I appreciate suggestions and all, so don't be shy! I don't bite…no, really!! Review please!!**


	2. Chapter 2: Pain

Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto. "Okay…what?"

"We trade places. Sooner or later, he has to switch us out. And then you take his body."

Orochimaru shrugged. "But it will take a long time to formulate the switch…"

"So? Nothing a little chakra and maybe a jutsu can't help."

Orochimaru shrugged again. "I guess so…but what will you do?"

"I'll just…be you. But since I wasn't hurt to begin with, it'll be a lot easier. You can recover and I can heal myself when Sasuke isn't looking. It's a lot better, because once I've healed myself and you've recovered enough, we can move for Sasuke's body."

"Kabuto, what would I do without you?"

Kabuto smiled and placed a small kiss on Orochimaru's forehead. "I don't even know." He straightened and began gathering all the supplies he had pulled out. Suddenly, he froze, staring at Orochimaru.

"Just a plain Henge won't do," he said. "I'll have to grow my hair, dye it, and then use the Henge to camouflage my facial features…"

"I have pierced ears."

Kabuto glanced at Orochimaru, then touched his own ears and whimpered. "Oh, Hepatitis…"

Orochimaru sighed. "I just don't know…"

"Well, we can see that."

Kabuto glared. Sasuke stood in the doorway, looking morbid and dark. "I want him now."

"It hasn't even been an hour!" Kabuto cried. Sasuke shrugged.

"Too bad."

And the trembling resumed.

Kabuto dropped his supplies on the counter and took Orochimaru into his arms. The shaking was still horrible, but Orochimaru was a bit calmer. But not by much; Sasuke was still here, and the trauma had barely begun to wear off. Kabuto hadn't been able to comfort Orochimaru much, and he was still trembling. Sasuke reached forward and pulled Orochimaru from Kabuto, knowing full well Kabuto was going to object.

"I'll know when you switch, even with the physical changes."

Kabuto's eyes widened. "How much did you hear?"

Sasuke glared. "Enough. I'll be watching you closely. And he'll stay with me for the time being."

Sasuke swept out of Kabuto's apartment, dragging Orochimaru behind him.

OOOOOOOOO

Sasuke threw Orochimaru down on the floor in front of him, and then lifted his face with the tip of his foot.

"You're a piece of work."

Orochimaru sighed. He wasn't even sure what to say at this point, or if he should even say anything at all. Sasuke hadn't bound him yet, but Orochimaru was sure it was coming. Sasuke wasn't the kind of person to take that risk, and he was positive Kabuto wasn't going to be getting in here. He knew he was in his former throne room, and also that Sasuke had made a few…modifications, if you will, especially to the area around the throne. And he had probably put in a few extra chains, knowing Sasuke…Sasuke wasn't the type for blood; he was just in it for the bondage. Sasuke physically bound his slaves, and waited for them to break as he gave them order after order. Or he just demanded sex.

"Well, I have things to do. So…" Sasuke reached over to the side of the pedestal and picked up a short, thick chain. "I'm leaving you here. When I come back in fifteen minutes, just know that I expect you to do whatever I want. And if you don't…well, there's ways I can punish you for that. Many ways…"

Orochimaru swallowed hard. This got worse and worse every minute…

Sasuke wrapped the chain around his neck, and Orochimaru fought back a whimper as it was tightened across a bruise. He didn't succeed.

"There's a lot more where that came from if you don't cooperate," Sasuke hissed. "So behave!"

Orochimaru sat back on his heels, defeated. There was no way out-Sasuke had him-literally-chained to him, and now Orochimaru was losing his soul. Again…

"_Orochimaru!!"_

_Orochimaru hit the ground again, blood pouring from his side. Tsunade called out to him again, but he could barely hear her from the fog of pain in his mind. Not that he cared-Tsunade was next to useless, anyway. What could she possibly do to help him?_

"_Orochimaru!"_

_Gentle hands were on his sides, carefully turning him so he wasn't lying directly on the injury. Green chakra began to glow-wait, Tsunade could heal?!_

_All around him, kunai were flying and clashing. The battle was dying down, and he and his team were one of the few left fighting. Everyone else had either left or died._

"_Sh, shsh…" Tsunade was trying to quiet him, but for some reason Orochimaru couldn't stop shaking. All he could focus on was the blood: the blood on his hands, the blood on his robes, the blood on Tsunade, the blood on the ground soaking into the earth-_

_Orochimaru screamed and passed out._

_When he woke up again, he was in the hospital, Tsunade leaning over him. He vaguely picked out a few nurses and a doctor in the background, but everything else was foggy…_

"_Are you okay?" Tsunade cried when she saw he was awake. "You screamed and then you just lost consciousness…"_

_  
Orochimaru tried to sit up, but fell back, gasping with the pain in hi side. Tsunade pushed him down anyway, telling him not to move. Orochimaru glanced down at his robes: they had been torn open and now lay beside him, full of blood and crap and…_

…_Blood…_

_Orochimaru leaned forward and crept into Tsunade's lap, suddenly very, very afraid._

"_I don't want to die," he whimpered, and Tsunade looked down, stunned._

"_Orochimaru…"_

"_I don't know why," he said quietly, "But blood makes me feel like…like I am going to die…"_

"_But you're only afraid of your own blood," Tsunade mused. "Hemophobia as I've never seen it before…"_

_And for ten years to come, Orochimaru would spook at the sight of his own blood. Eventually he got over it, but in the process of extinguishing his fear, he also felt like he had extinguished a part of himself. Orochimaru would never be the same._

Orochimaru pulled his knees into his chest and pressed his face to them, feeling tears sting at the corners of his eyes. He would _not _cry. He never had, and never would. He wouldn't cry now, not now…

But as the first tear slid free, Orochimaru realized-

He was going to cry.

OOOOOOOOO

"Kabuto!"

Kabuto turned to obey yet another order from Sasuke, murderous thoughts of strangling the brat still running through his mind. How _dare _he?! Not to Orochimaru-sama-!

"Take these to my throne room," Sasuke said, tossing him a set of scrolls. Kabuto caught them, gave a curt nod, and went off to do as he was told. As he walked, he brooded.

There was no way he was letting the brat get away with this. As it was, Orochimaru-sama was already in for it. Kabuto knew what Sasuke did to his victims-Orochimaru had given him his fair share of "interrogations"-but they were so cruel you could hardly call them that, even by the most liberal use of the word. And Sasuke had always gotten what he wanted from the subject. He would probably play with Orochimaru's mind a bit, and then move in for the kill.

Orochimaru was sitting on the floor next to the throne, a thick chain wrapped around his neck.

Kabuto's blood boiled at the sight; but even more so when he saw the dried tear tracks on Orochimaru's cheeks. How dare he…?!

"_Orochimaru-sama!"_

Kabuto rushed over to him, dropping the scrolls to pull Orochimaru into his arms. Orochimaru was shaking again; bad memories? Maybe so, but even if it was not-Sasuke was the cause, and that little bitch was going to hear it from Kabuto-

"So…looks like you found each other again, huh?"

Kabuto looked up from Orochimaru's raven-colored hair, but never stopped stroking the ebony locks. He gave Sasuke his best death-glare that clearly said, _Goddammit, I am going to fucking kill you, so back off, carrion!_

Sasuke approached anyway.

Kabuto's lips lifted in a feral snarl. No way was he letting this punk keep Orochimaru for another second! No way in hell! This was getting out of hand, and Kabuto was stopping it!

"Thinking about challenging me?"

Kabuto turned back to Orochimaru and cradled him in his arms. Non-violent protest? Probably not, but then again it might send Sasuke a message…

"Get out."

The Sharingan sure gave a better death-glare than Kabuto…

"No."

"_Get out."_

"I won't leave him!"

"Fine," Sasuke spat. "You can watch the show. And just for you, I'll make it even better." Kabuto heard the footsteps and tightened his grip on Orochimaru. Orochimaru huddled down closer to Kabuto's lap and further down into his chest. He wasn't in the mood to be raped…Sasuke leaned over Kabuto, managed to get a hold on Orochimaru, and pulled him out of Kabuto's arms with surprising ease, despite protests from both Kabuto and Orochimaru.

"Well, if you're both going to be asses, I'll treat you both like it." Sasuke picked up Orochimaru and dragged him over to the wall. Kabuto stayed relatively sill; if he was going to interfere, he wanted to know when. Sasuke pressed Orochimaru to the wall and took both of the slender wrists in his hands-

And broke them.

Orochimaru screamed in pain; Kabuto screamed in horror at the resounding cracks from Orochimaru's hands. He never thought he would be so afraid of breaking bones…but he was…

"Stop it!" he cried. "Stop!"

_You took my heart!_

_Deceived me right from the start._

_You showed me dreams-_

_I wish they'd turn into real._

_You broke a promise and made me realize…_

_It was all just a lie!!_

Sasuke pressed his hips into Orochimaru's, crushing the sannin into the wall and producing a pained yelp. Sasuke forced Orochimaru's head up and kissed him hard enough to bruise Orochimaru's pale white skin. Kabuto could tell Orochimaru was fighting, but his injuries weren't exactly giving him an advantage. Kabuto was afraid now; _really _afraid. And he was afraid that anything he did could hurt Orochimaru. All he could do for now was watch.

While Sasuke's mouth was occupied with Orochimaru's, his hands were roaming the sannin's half-naked body. Kabuto hadn't had a chance to get Orochimaru clothed again when Sasuke came in, and so Orochimaru was still vulnerable, even more so with the absence of the bandages. Kabuto flinched as he realized what pain Orochimaru must be in-this was not good…at all…

And as Sasuke stripped Orochimaru down to nothing, he found himself unable to watch. Kabuto looked away, feeling tears sliding down his cheeks. His sobs were equal to Orochimaru's as Sasuke turned him around and slammed into him dry, and Kabuto could swear he heard blood hitting the floor. Orochimaru's screams and sobs of pain were enough to make any heart wrench, and Kabuto's had been twisted, snapped, and had fallen to pieces. Sasuke seemed to be at ease-how many times had he done this? Thoughts drifted idly across Kabuto's mind, but he registered nothing at this point. He simply had no idea what was going on anymore, only that Orochimaru was in pain and he needed to do something. Blood was beginning to soak onto Sasuke's shirt-but from what? Only then did Kabuto see the kunai in Sasuke's hand, and he saw the slashes drawn across Orochimaru's back and down his sides. Shallow, but painful cuts raked the insides of Orochimaru's thighs, his sides, and back, and from Kabuto could tell a lot more of him.

Orochimaru was shaking; Kabuto could tell even from across the room. Finally, Sasuke's pace began to slow down…and Kabuto realized that he had been waiting in agony for fifteen minutes. He bolted forward, tore Sasuke away from Orochimaru, and caught the sannin as he fell. Blood soaked Kabuto's hands as he did so, and he felt Orochimaru shivering against his chest. He wouldn't let him go this time…not ever again…

"Orochimaru-sama," he whispered. There was nothing else to say. The sannin wasn't even crying at this point-just silent sobs and desperate breathes. Kabuto held him close, kissing his bruised face and doing his best to heal him with the shaky chakra control he had left.

Orochimaru knew that was it. He wasn't ever going to be more than a slave at this point, and there wasn't anything he or Kabuto could do about it. As it was, the blood loss was starting to affect him…

"_No! Orochimaru-sama! God, Orochimaru-sama, must you always-?"_

"_Yes, now shut up."_

"_Don't just-"_

"_Don't care."_

_Orochimaru walked away, seemingly uncaring. Kabuto ran after him after a moment, concerned. "I'm worried about you, Orochimaru-sama," the young teen said slowly. "You always leave right after you eat, and no one can find you, sometimes for hours at a time. I'm worried."_

_Orochimaru shrugged. "Well, Kabuto, I have things to do. I might be in the Library, I might be training, and I might just be sitting around while people throw themselves at me. It all depends on the mood I'm in. Use your knowledge of me, and find me."_

_It became a game of hide-and-seek for Kabuto. He would always attempt to find Orochimaru after dinner. And every day he came closer and closer, until finally it became Orochimaru changing locations and Kabuto following._

_Finally, Kabuto caught up with Orochimaru._

_He gave those ebony locks a playful tug, turned Orochimaru around, and kissed him. The sannin complied surprisingly willingly, and Kabuto pulled back, satisfied._

"_What, was that my reward for finding you?"_

_Orochimaru smiled. "Well, what were you expecting?"_

_Kabuto smiled, and from that night on Orochimaru seemed to grow so much closer to Kabuto. He always talked to him now, and it sometimes seemed like they were together for days on end. And every day they grew closer, until finally Kabuto was nineteen and he and Orochimaru became lovers._

_And then they were truly inseparable._

Now, Kabuto only cried into that black hair, gently stroking it to calm Orochimaru down and trying to calm him down. Sasuke reached over and cruelly yanked Orochimaru away from Kabuto again.

"If you want him back, you're going to have to wait," Sasuke said heartlessly. He wrapped the chain around Orochimaru's neck and tossed him back towards the throne. Orochimaru didn't move when he hit the cold stone floor; it hurt too much to even breath at that point. He probably had a few broken ribs…

"Come back in an hour," Sasuke instructed, "And then you can take him. But for…now, he's still mine."

Kabuto, knowing there was nothing further he could do, walked out of the room, broken and crushed.

OOOOOOOOO

Kabuto had no idea what to do in the hour Sasuke had given him. He had gathered medical supplies, checked and re-checked them for a half an hour, but now he had another half an hour to go and it wasn't going to be easy to pass it. Kabuto tried to read a book. He tried going over medical files and records. He tried organizing his notes. Nothing worked, and he still had ten minutes.

Finally, fed up, Kabuto decided to go get Orochimaru early. Maybe Sasuke would let him…

Kabuto fidgeted for another five minutes and figured he might as well try. Orochimaru was probably being beaten senseless as it was…maybe Sasuke would dismiss the extra…three minutes, by the time Kabuto got there…

Kabuto shoved open the huge, snake-handled double doors, afraid of what he might see, but determined to win back Orochimaru. Sasuke was sprawled over the throne, legs hanging over the side, arms over the other, one hand continuously stroking Orochimaru like he was a domestic pet. Orochimaru himself looked terrible-all of the bandages Kabuto had put on earlier had been ripped off. Blood dripped from everywhere on Orochimaru's body, and he seemed to be in agony just sitting at Sasuke's feet. His head was hanging, and his dark black hair was slick with blood and hanging over his golden eyes. His eyes...Orochimaru's beautiful eyes...now they only spoke of pain and sadness, a desperate lament and a cry for help...and it was being silenced. Cruelly silenced by the demands of one person...

"I thought you'd come a little early. But whatever."

Sasuke released the chain from Orochimaru's neck, but Kabuto noticed a piece of leather still around his neck. Sasuke didn't bother to remove it; he simply shoved Orochimaru at Kabuto, not caring if the sannin fell down the steps leading up to the throne platform or not. Kabuto caught him and immediately drew up enough healing chakra to ease the pain, if only a bit.

"Get him out of my sight. I'll come for him when I want him."

Kabuto exhaled as he carried Orochimaru away. This was a fine mess they were in now-and there was no way out.

"Leave the collar."

Kabuto froze at Sasuke's words, then sighed again and pushed the doors open, letting them slam behind him. Sasuke watched them go, bemused. When would Kabuto figure out that Orochimaru was his property, and his alone? He looked forward to finding out…

**A/N: I really like where this is going…review, or no next chapter!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Wounds

Chapter 3

Kabuto gently laid Orochimaru out across his bed, watching as Orochimaru whimpered in pain and tried to find the least painful spot to lie on. Kabuto reached over to the table next to the bed where he had piled medical supplies, pulled out a cloth, and dipped it in the bowl of cold water he had placed next to the medical supplies. He folded the cloth and positioned it on Orochimaru's forehead; just below the hairline, and right above the eyebrows. The sinus pressure was probably immense by now…

Kabuto called up some healing chakra and repaired the breaks in Orochimaru's wrists, feeling the sannin's attempts to stifle the winces of pain as Kabuto lifted and wrapped his hands around the crushed bone. Within seconds, though, Kabuto had completely reconstructed both wrists, and Orochimaru was feeling slightly better from the effects of Kabuto's attention.

Kabuto reached over, got a clean cloth, and began wiping the blood from Orochimaru's body to see where the cuts really were. "Feeling a little better?"

Orochimaru nodded mutely. He was too tired and hurt to speak. Kabuto saw this and began healing the cuts, bruises, and slices over Orochimaru's beautiful skin. Kabuto was ready to skin Sasuke alive for this-and to insult him as much as to put a collar on? And then specifically instruct Kabuto to leave it?! No, there was definitely a drug in a plate tonight…Kabuto suddenly loved his position as servant to Sasuke. It usually included cooking the brat's meals…

Kabuto went over several broken ribs-all of them as a matter of fact. Orochimaru either insanely lucky or just using chakra more then anyone was aware of-not one of the broken ribs had punctured a lung. Kabuto easily put them all back together, and he could feel Orochimaru's abused muscles beginning to relax.

"How's that?"

Orochimaru reached out and caught Kabuto's hand as the silver-haired ninja reached over to brush the black hair from Orochimaru's face. He pulled Kabuto as close to him as possible-

And kissed him.

Kabuto smiled and gladly returned the gesture, running his hands down the sides of Orochimaru's face, caressing every fine bone and refined muscle-

Orochimaru pulled back, gasping. Kabuto turned around, only to find himself staring into the face of Uchiha Sasuke.

"I don't care about the two of you together," Sasuke snapped. "I want lunch, and I want it now."

"You act as though you had instructed me to make you something earlier," Kabuto said frostily. Sasuke seemed taken aback by Kabuto's boldness, and his face clearly said so. "And seeing as I had more pressing issues at hand, I took care of them first," Kabuto continued. "Now, since you have not told me to do anything, I think I'll take care of what's more important than you yelling at me."

Sasuke's hand flashed out and caught Orochimaru's slender wrist in a vice-like grip. Orochimaru couldn't suppress a whimper of fear, and he drew back as much as he could with Sasuke's imposing grip.

"You don't want him to get hurt, now do you?" Sasuke purred, pulling Orochimaru into his body. Kabuto gulped, but remained silent. Sasuke flung Orochimaru to the floor, never taking his eyes off Kabuto.

"Then cut the attitude," Sasuke snapped, kicking Orochimaru hard in the side, "And get me my food."

He stalked out, being sure to kick Orochimaru along the way. Kabuto sighed and picked up Orochimaru, cradling him in his arms and whispering calming words to him. "Come on," he whispered, helping Orochimaru stand, "You can either help me pick out drugs or you can lay down. Take your pick."

Orochimaru settled against Kabuto's chest.

"Fair enough," Kabuto said brightly, helping Orochimaru to a chair near the medical room of Kabuto's apartment. "I have this…this…and this…none will kill, but they all do different things," he said slowly, pulling drugs off a shelf and placing them in front of Orochimaru. "So, what do you think?"

Orochimaru stared at each bottle for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. He finally handed Kabuto one bottle with a few pills rattling around in it, a small smile on his face. When Kabuto saw Orochimaru's choice, he smiled.

"Good choice."

OOOOOOOOO

"Sasuke! I have your lunch!"

"Well, get in here!"

"The door's locked!"

Kabuto bit back the rest of the retort on his lips, swallowing down everything but the pure, naked facts. Moments later, Sasuke emerged, looking annoyed. "You have keys, don't you?" he snapped, taking the tray from Kabuto.

"Yes, but as you may have noticed, my hands were full," Kabuto snarled, trying as hard as he could to keep the animosity from his voice. Sasuke waved him away and muttered a curt, "You are dismissed," and closed the door. Kabuto sighed and walked away, still hiding his grin. Sasuke would be a little out of it for the next few days…

Kabuto pushed open the door to his apartment and came upon an unusual sight.

Kimimaro was holding Orochimaru in his arms.

"I feel bad," he was saying as Kabuto walked in. "Orochimaru-sama is constantly getting the worst of it, and none of us are really in for it like he is…"

Kabuto sighed and locked the door: all four locks slid into place, and Kabuto pressed a seal tag to the back of the door for extra support.

"Do you have any idea why he refuses to speak? I'm serious, this entire time, I've been trying to get him to talk…the only thing he did was kind of curl up in a ball and look really, really scared…"

Kabuto sighed. "Did you try to make him drink?"

"He took it all," Kimimaro said slowly. "I think he wants it but he's afraid to ask."

Kabuto handed Orochimaru a glass of water and sat down next to Kimimaro, waiting. Orochimaru eagerly gulped down the water, and Kabuto handed him a small, round pill.

"It's just a plasma pill," he said, watching Orochimaru draw back. "I want to replace the blood you lost."

Orochimaru nodded and swallowed the pill whole. Kabuto stood up, refilled the glass of water, and handed it to Orochimaru. Orochimaru gladly accepted it again, and Kabuto sighed.

"You can talk, you know. Tell me what you want and I'll get it for you."

Orochimaru shook his head and handed Kabuto the glass, curling up in Kimimaro's lap after doing so. Kabuto noticed, just before Kimimaro's arms fell across it, several long gashes across Orochimaru's back and a shiver if pain as Kimimaro's hands fell on top of them.

"Kimi…" he said slowly, "Move your hand for a second…"

Kimimaro lifted his arms, and Kabuto peered at the gashes. "These look like…almost like whip lashes…Orochimaru-sama, has Sasuke been _whipping _you?"

Orochimaru looked up from Kimimaro's shoulder, wordlessly reached out, and pulled himself into Kabuto's chest. Kabuto felt his heart breaking once more as the sannin, the once proud ruler of Otokagure, the beautiful creature he once called his master, crumpled before him. He felt a dampness pick up on his fingertips as he ran his fingers over the smooth skin of Orochimaru's cheeks. Orochimaru buried his face on Kabuto's neck, seemingly afraid to do anything but cling to him. Kabuto wrapped his arms around Orochimaru and sank back into the pillows he had set against the headboard of the bed.

"Kimi, Sasuke's been whipping him whenever he makes a sound."

Kimimaro seemed stunned to hear this. He bit his lip nervously and looked down, and Kabuto could see his young mind working to comprehend this.

"But-he's even younger then me…and even I can't torture someone like that…"

Kabuto shook his head. "I'm so sorry…"

Kimimaro pushed Orochimaru's hair back from his face, staring at the tear tracks running down the marble-white cheeks. He shook his head, and Kabuto could only see one expression on it: horror.

"_Kabuto!!"_

Kabuto gasped and looked up at the scream from Sasuke's room. He glanced back and forth at Kimimaro and the door, torn between two choices. Kimimaro reached out and took Orochimaru into his own embrace, nodding to Kabuto to go. Kabuto's expression was one of pure gratitude, and Kimimaro smiled when he saw it. He held Orochimaru in his arms, his only concern to comfort him. Kabuto rushed out of the room, hoping Sasuke hadn't bothered to come out of his room and scream. If the brat had come out that would mean trouble for everyone, especially Kabuto and Orochimaru.

Thankfully, the door to Sasuke's room was still closed-and locked, for that matter. Kabuto tried the knob, sighing, and pulled out the key to the door. He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and stepped into Sasuke's room.

"What?"

Sasuke handed him a bundle of scrolls. "Go over these files, make sure they're all in order. These need to be notarized, these need to be signed, these need to be sent to Grass, these need to be sent to Sunaga, and this needs to go to Konoha."

By the time Sasuke was done piling scrolls into Kabuto's arms, the teen could have sworn he could drop them all and put a hole in the floor.

Sasuke reached over and picked up one last bundle of scrolls, dumped them on top of the pile Kabuto was already holding, and said, "These need to be burned."

Kabuto sighed, nodded, and walked out. Kimimaro wordlessly opened the door when he was asked to, holding Orochimaru close to him so the sannin wouldn't feel abandoned. Kabuto dumped the scrolls on the floor next to his bed, laid out across it, pulled Orochimaru into his body, propped himself up with multiple pillows, and picked up the first scroll. Orochimaru settled within the curve of Kabuto's arms, resting almost calmly next to Kabuto with his head resting on Kabuto's chest. Kabuto smiled. Maybe finally Orochimaru could sleep…

The door slammed open, and Sasuke stood where it used to be.

Only then did Kabuto realize he had forgotten to lock it.

Kabuto motioned fervently to Sasuke to be quiet. "I just put him down to sleep! Be quiet, I cannot have him wake up again! And the poor thing, he needs it too, after what you put him through. I know what you've been doing to him, and I'm stopping it; right here, right now." _The drug shuld have taken effect...no, crap, no, this one takes longer!! Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!!_

Sasuke snorted and walked over to Kabuto and Orochimaru. Kabuto tightened his arms around Orochimaru and slightly sat up, hoping to gain a bit of leverage. Orochimaru tried as hard as he could to stay near Kabuto; he wasn't really asleep and never had been, and he doubted Sasuke fell for it at all.

"I don't buy that for a minute," Sasuke snapped. "Anyway, I need a report on casualties. Konoha is getting aggressive, and we need a strategy…"

Kabuto was not listening at all. Sasuke's words were going in one ear and out the other, and absolutely nothing was getting stuck along the way.

"_Are you listening at all?!" _Sasuke roared. The next thing Kabuto knew, he was flat on his back on the floor, Orochimaru standing above him, shaking violently but standing his ground against Sasuke. Kabuto pulled himself to his feet, licking the blood from his split lip.

"And in answer to your question, Sasuke_-sama,_" Kabuto spat, "No, I'm not listening. Because it doesn't matter."

Sasuke moved for Kabuto again, but Orochimaru stepped in front of him, brandishing Kusanji and looking scared out of his mind.

"_Sit!!"_

Sasuke grabbed Orochimaru by the collar and hurled him to the floor. Orochimaru threw up Kusanji, nicking Sasuke's arm and fueling the Uchiha's anger. Sasuke stopped only to dig his foot into Orochimaru's side, and then continued on to Kabuto. The silver-haired ninja gasped and threw himself towards Orochimaru. There was no way Orochimaru could take it again, there was just no way!

Sasuke saw where Kabuto was going almost immediately and followed, kicking out viciously and catching Kabuto in the ribs. Kabuto flinched in pain, but kept running for Orochimaru. Orochimaru looked back forth, panicking; what could he do? Both ninja were closing in, and he knew it wasn't going to end well if either-

Sasuke caught up to Kabuto, grabbed the silver ponytail, and pulled Kabuto down to the floor, falling on top of him and crushing Kabuto beneath his oppressive weight. Orochimaru was afraid to do anything; at this range, he might hurt Kabuto. And the state he was in didn't exactly enhance performance…

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto called. "Kusanji!!"

Orochimaru glanced down at the sword. What was Kabuto talking about…?

"Focus chakra through it and throw it!"

…um, _what?_

"Just do it!"

Orochimaru trusted Kabuto; that was a proven fact. But how much…? Well, it was Kabuto's life…

Orochimaru took a deep breath, sent his chakra into the sword, and threw it.

**A/N: Review please, or no next chapter!! Sorry for the late update, I was on vacation…**


	4. Chapter 4: Anger

**Hey!!! Aquarius Princess!!! I know this is on your alert, so review please!!! Otherwise I won't update it!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

Kabuto's hand flashed out, catching Kusanji by the hilt and throwing up the blade. Sasuke looked stunned by the action, jumping back and forcing the blade aside by the flat. Kabuto twisted it, using the chakra-infused sword to cast a jutsu.

Orochimaru watched in astonishment as a barrier sprang up between Kabuto and Sasuke, shielding both him and Kabuto from Sasuke. Kabuto dropped the sword and fell to his knees, and only then did Orochimaru realize that the silver-haired ninja was bleeding.

"K-Kabuto…?"

"I'm regenerating," Kabuto panted, sitting down. "It's just taking a while…I'm using chakra to keep this barrier up, too, so…it takes longer for me to regenerate…"

Orochimaru put his arms around Kabuto and began forcing chakra into the other's body. Kabuto gently pulled it from Orochimaru, trying not to hurt him further. Sasuke sighed and turned around, walking away from the two.

"I expect him in an hour."

Kabuto sighed and released the barrier, cutting off the chakra Orochimaru was giving him. "Okay, it's official," he snapped, standing up. "We're getting out of here."

Orochimaru stood up as well, shaking his hair out of his face. "But Kabuto, where? Where would we go? If you think about it, there's really no other place…I'm just going to have to accept this until we can kill Sasuke. Until then, I'm garbage. Face it."

Kabuto hated how bitter Orochimaru's voice sounded; like there was nothing left in the world for him. Kabuto shook his head.

"I can't accept that; I really can't. We're going to have to move for Sasuke in an hour; just when he expects you."

Orochimaru exhaled and fell to Kabuto's bed, looking utterly defeated. "Kabuto, you and I both know that's not possible, at least, not with me in the state I'm in. I just can't fight!"

"Oh, yes you can," Kabuto hissed. "You did earlier, and you probably were about to pass out doing it, but you did. And I'll be there, too-you just won't see me for a while. Here-take this, and make sure this is with you at all times."

Orochimaru felt Kabuto placing a small pill in his hand, and he glanced down at it. Kabuto shook his head.

"You know chakra scalpel, right?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"Then you'll need that."

"But I can't do this nearly as well as you can! I'll probably end up cutting myself!"

"If that happens, I'll heal you," Kabuto said. "Take it when you first go in. Swallow it, open the door, go in, and wait a few minutes. Wait for close contact, focus chakra to your hands, and aim for the space between the ribs. Try to get a lung, since they're close to the surface. Or aim for his arms-whichever you can get easiest. Try not to get your back to his front-that would not be good at all. I'll cast a genjutsu early on that should slow him down a bit and help you figure out where to hit. And the drug I fed him earlier will definitely help. So after you cut his muscles a bit, I'll slash him up a little more and you take his body. I should be able to neutralize the Mangekyou for a time, but not the Sharingan itself, so move quickly."

Orochimaru nodded and took Kusanji back from Kabuto, swallowing it back into his chest. "Well…what now…?"

"We wait. Or we have sex."

Orochimaru groaned. "I still can't feel my ass from Sasuke."

"Okay, I can heal you."

"_No!"_

Kabuto could see the green flecks in Orochimaru's eyes growing larger, speaking of panic and fear. Kabuto reached out and pulled Orochimaru into his arms, placing a soft kiss on the sannin's tender lips.

"Relax, I would never do anything like that, especially to you."

Orochimaru's muscles relaxed considerably, and Kabuto smiled. "Okay, forty-six minutes. What to do in that time?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "I wanted to find something to do, but right now I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"You can sleep if you want," Kabuto said. "It might take some stress off, getting a bit of rest…come on, I'll lay down with you."

Orochimaru was too tired to object, so when Kabuto sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled him down next to him, he didn't move. Kabuto settled against the headboard of the bed, pulled Orochimaru into his lap, and held the sannin to his chest. Orochimaru almost looked innocent, lying in the curve of Kabuto's embrace, golden eyes closed and ebony hair falling into his face. Kabuto brushed it out of the way and placed a soft kiss on Orochimaru's bruised lips, sending healing chakra into the bruises and healing them instantly. Orochimaru lay his head against Kabuto's shoulder, and Kabuto felt his breathing even after a few minutes. A small smile came to his lips; Orochimaru was finally asleep. Kabuto fought down a yawn. He probably shouldn't fall asleep…not while Sasuke was around…but still…he was so tired from that barrier jutsu…

Kabuto couldn't help it. He sighed and allowed himself to doze off, keeping Orochimaru firmly in the circle of his arms.

OOOOOOOOO

"_Kabuto!!!!!!"_

_  
_Kabuto jolted awake at Sasuke's shout, and his arms immediately tightened around Orochimaru. He could feel the sannin shivering as he did so, and hushed him quietly, listening for Sasuke's next scream.

"_Where are you, you little rat?!!"_

Kabuto sighed and stood up. "So pleasant to wake up to," he muttered, pulling Orochimaru back up with him. He glanced at the clock and suddenly felt the need to panic. Over an hour had passed since he fell asleep!

"_Where are you??!!!"_

_  
_Kabuto groaned and set his hands firmly, but gently, over Orochimaru's ears. "You don't need to hear what happens next," he said dryly, and kissed him. "Stay here."

Kabuto slipped out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him. _"Sasuke, shut your mouth and you might get better results!"_

Orochimaru curled up on the bed where Kabuto had left him, suddenly feeling very alone.

OOOOOOOOO

Kabuto slammed open Sasuke's door, looking as pissed off as Sasuke himself. "Do you want something, or are you just trying to be annoying?"

"You were supposed to bring me Orochimaru a half an hour ago!" Sasuke bellowed, and Kabuto could have sword his hair blew back. "And he isn't here!! Got an idea what's wrong? Stupid little bitch." He raised a hand to smack Kabuto, but the genin ducked away, caught Sasuke's wrist, and _twisted._

The resounding snap was music to his ears.

At first, Sasuke only looked stunned. Then he drew his sword and began twirling it in his hand, trying to figure out the most painful way to kill Kabuto.

Kabuto shoved a small pill down his throat and began forming hand signs. Sasuke groaned when he realized what Kabuto had done: he had purposely broken only one wrist so Sasuke would only be able to get into close range if he wanted to fight, and then he had brought up his chakra scalpel so he could cut Sasuke's muscles to ribbons while they were fighting. But Sasuke had to be within arm's reach for that. Well, his sword was about three and a half, four feet long…and Kabuto's arms were…probably not that long. Basic thinking said that he might be able to maim Kabuto and then move for the deathblow…if he moved quickly. Which might be difficult with his broken wrist…but then again, it fuelled rage.

"How does it feel?"

Sasuke glared at Kabuto. "What?"

"How does it feel, to have your wrists broken for no reason? I didn't have to break it; I didn't even have to touch you. I had no reason for that-but I did it anyway. And my excuse is it was for Orochimaru-sama."

"I notice you used the plural form," Sasuke said dryly. "My other hand is perfectly fine."

"Not for long."

Kabuto jumped at Sasuke like a cat with its claws outstretched. Sasuke dodged the first blow easily, but as Kabuto spun around, slashing at Sasuke's ankles as he went, Sasuke found he was being pressed further and further back by Kabuto's chakra scalpel. He recognized from the strong glow of chakra that Kabuto was building up his knife-longer and designed to cut deeper than ever before. Sasuke grunted in pain as he landed on his ankle weirdly-Kabuto's hands were suddenly aiming for his rib cage, and Sasuke vaguely registered several snaps and the sound of muscles tearing. He lay on the stone floor, struggling to breath, realizing Kabuto had cut his inner costal muscles.

"You suck, bitch," he panted, trying to breath. Kabuto grinned and leaned forward, expertly slashing Sasuke's legs and arms.

"That was too easy," Kabuto said slowly. "The real Sasuke can put up a fight against even Orochimaru-sama. You're like Tsunade was with me-fairly easy to defeat. So who are you?"

The Sasuke on the ground grinned and stared up at him. "You may never know."

Kabuto released his chakra scalpel and dispelled the genjutsu.

"Kai!"

The genjutsu melted away, revealing-

"Ryuu!" Kabuto cried. "What do you have against Orochimaru-sama?!"

The dark-haired man gave Kabuto a smug grin. "Sasuke just offered more for my loyalty. Orochimaru never paid much attention to me, the wretch-he's just getting karma now."

Kabuto shook his head. "Why must everyone turn on him now that someone even worse has taken power?"

He kicked out, using his knowledge of the human body to effortlessly snap the vertebrae in Ryuu's neck. "Rest in peace, traitor."

Footsteps sounded.

Kabuto turned around slowly, dreading what he might see there.

Sasuke stood in the doorway, Orochimaru kneeling at his feet, looking terrified.

Kabuto gasped, suddenly seeing what Sasuke had done. And he had fallen for it…totally and completely. It was what had saved him that came back around and bit him in the ass.

Blue chakra flared up defiantly around his hands, and Kabuto felt waves of rage wash over him. "Sasuke…you are one motherfucking asshole."

Sasuke grinned and ran one hand through Orochimaru's black hair. "But he's so sweet…once you break him, that is. He knows who his master is; who he answers to. And he also knows what happens when he disobeys his master." He gave the leash around Orochimaru's neck a firm yank, and Kabuto could see Orochimaru's face twist in pain. That collar was simply too tight, and several abrasions and lacerations had been made by it. Blood dripped down Orochimaru's neck and over his bare chest, showing up boldly as bloody hell against Orochimaru's pure white skin.

Kabuto's breathing picked up, hatred surging through every cell in his body. "Let him go and I'll let you live," Kabuto snarled, blue chakra burning even more intensely. "He has nothing to do with this anymore. This is between you and me; and I fully intend to stop you, whatever you plan to do to him."

Sasuke laughed, and Kabuto felt his anger burning even higher, if that was even possible. "You? Pathetic little nerd. Go stick your nose in a book; it's all you'll ever be useful for."

Kabuto bristled furiously and decided he had taken enough.

He whipped around, charged Sasuke recklessly, and went straight for the neck.

"_Shut your mouth, fag!"_

_  
_Sasuke shook his head, easily sidestepped the blow, and pulled Orochimaru to his feet. He shoved the sannin in front of him as Kabuto went in again, forcing Kabuto to halt his attack to avoid hitting Orochimaru. Kabuto wasted no time, dropping down into the floor and coming up again, slashing at Sasuke's ankles. Sasuke jumped back, kicking Orochimaru over as he went. The sannin crashed to the floor, a startled yelp emitting from his throat. Sasuke forced Orochimaru down next to him, waiting for Kabuto's next move. It came at an alarming pace-Kabuto re-appeared behind him, aiming for Sasuke's spine. Sasuke rolled over, kicking out at Kabuto's chest and drawing his sword at the same time. Kabuto felt the breath forced out of him and suddenly panicked. Sasuke's sword was out, and for the moment he could do nothing more than fly back from where Sasuke had kicked him. Kabuto flinched in pain as his body hit the floor with enough force to break it, and suddenly he was able to draw breath again. He inhaled quickly, and then spat poisoned needles at Sasuke. Sasuke easily dodged them, ducking and running for Orochimaru at the same time. Kabuto exhaled and brought up his chakra scalpel at the same time. This was going to be tricky, but if his aim was true-

Sasuke darted back and shoved Orochimaru in front of him again, making sure Kabuto saw what he was doing. Kabuto halted and let the chakra hiss away from his hands. This clearly wasn't going to work…Sasuke would just keep using Orochimaru as a human shield, and Kabuto would tire eventually. As it was, Kabuto was beginning to pant and sweat, and Sasuke was hardly looking interested.

"Come on, Kabuto, Orochimaru loves you so much-why, I can hardly fathom, if this is the best you can do."

A slow smile crossed Kabuto's face. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sasuke," he said softly. "You're blind. Possibly deaf, as I've told you already. I love him-and he returns that. Not for my fighting skills, not for my eyes-no, he loves me because he knows I am loyal to him. I would defend him with my life, and I would betray his orders if only it meant saving his life. It's because I put Orochimaru-sama ahead of myself that he treasures me so much, and also why we have become so close. Because I am the only one loyal enough to stay by his side despite death threats and the overall strain and stress of being close to him. I wanted to please him-that was why I stayed. Sasuke, you have no emotional attachment at all…and I pity you for that-" Kabuto's voice broke, and he brushed tears from his eyes. "Not that I can blame you, though," he whispered, then continued. "It's only meant pain to you to be attached to anyone; any_thing _really. But I have experienced that to the first degree…and yet, I can still love. Not much, but I still can. And that, Sasuke, is where we are most different. We are so alike…and yet we are not, because, despite my emotionless appearance, I actually can care when I want to. I feel sorry for you because you can't…it was always about your brother, and then there was no one else even to talk to you…I feel so sorry for you-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted. "Do you want him to die?!"

"Please, Sasuke, don't take it out on Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto sobbed. "He hasn't done anything, yet you treat him like he has done what your brother has. I understand your pain, Sasuke-but I cannot put you out of it. Only you can do that now-I can't help you."

Sasuke's hand clenched in Orochimaru's hair, causing the sannin to draw away in fear. "Knock it off," Sasuke snapped, and pulled Orochimaru up to his feet with the leash. The snake ninja had fallen when Sasuke shoved past him to evade Kabuto, and now Sasuke yanked him back up. Kabuto felt more tears well up in his eyes as he watched Orochimaru whimper in pain and cower in fear.

"Please, Sasuke," he said quietly. "Don't hurt him any more. He hasn't done anything except give to you-and now you take from him? What has he done to deserve this? I know you have hardly deserved anything that has been done to you-but please, Sasuke, didn't you learn anything from your brother's mistakes? Why take from someone who has only ever done you good-?"

"_I thought I told you to shut up!!"_

Sasuke's voice shook with rage and…something else…Kabuto shook his head and covered his eyes with one hand.

"Sasuke…I'm so sorry…"

When Kabuto looked up again, his eyes were red.

**A/N: I had to stop there, otherwise it would have been too long. I updated because I didn't want this to rot here and get old so no one would read it…if I don't get a review after two weeks or so, I'll post the next chapter, just to see if anyone else will read it and review for it. I don't want it to get dusty, and I really love this fic. Don't make me stop working on it!!**


	5. Chapter 5: Shock

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight of Kabuto's. He knew about Kabuto's fearsome bloodline. Not much, but he still knew enough to stop whenever Kabuto got as far as to invoke his red eyes. Sasuke was pissed now; he was planning raping Orochimaru…and from what he heard, the sannin tasted so good-

"Let him go!!"

Kabuto's two top canine teeth were growing longer, and now dropped from the corners of his lips, which were lifted in a feral snarl. Kabuto's expression was no longer human, and Sasuke was actually feeling a bit nervous. He sighed with annoyance and pulled the leash off Orochimaru's collar.

"Fine; take him. He's scared senseless of you now, anyway."

The second Sasuke had stepped away from Orochimaru, Kabuto released his bloodline and bolted for Orochimaru. Not much to his surprise, Orochimaru shrank back in fear, and Kabuto could tell that he was shaking badly.

"It's okay…Orochimaru-sama, come here. Come on, it's okay, it's me…come on, I know you're afraid, but you have to trust me-"

Kabuto was cut off when Orochimaru suddenly threw himself at Kabuto, crowding into the medic's chest and burying his face in Kabuto's shoulder. Kabuto wrapped his arms around Orochimaru, feeling the sticky wetness of blood soaking into his gloves and shirt as he held Orochimaru securely within his embrace. One hand immediately came up to push a kunai into the tight leather of the collar, severing the bondage and throwing it aside. Kabuto's fingertips grazed the surface of the wounds in Orochimaru's neck, closing them over and wiping away a bit of the blood. Sasuke walked out, making sure Orochimaru received a swift kick in the ribs. Kabuto swiped at the brat's ankle, missed, and returned his attention to Orochimaru. Orochimaru curled up in Kabuto's lap, still clinging to the silver-haired ninja's shoulders. Kabuto continued to comfort him, stroking his hair and gently kissing over the bruises and cuts, healing them with the soft touch of a healer. Orochimaru leaned into Kabuto's touch, finding comfort in his lover's arms.

"Come here, it's okay," Kabuto murmured, kissing down on a dark bruise high on Orochimaru's cheek. He knew how much pain Orochimaru was in, and he had failed again to take it from him. He was on the verge of tears himself, but he withheld them; for Orochimaru's sake. Orochimaru really needed to be strong, and to do that, he needed someone else who was strong by his side, helping him to his feet. Now, Kabuto pulled him into his arms, supporting his shoulders and legs as he carried him from Sasuke's room. Orochimaru whimpered as he was lifted from the ground, and again as Kabuto accidentally touched a bruise. Kabuto immediately healed it, and then continued carrying Orochimaru back to his room.

Kimimaro was still there, but he was lying against the wall, seemingly unconscious. Kabuto gasped when he saw him, quickly put Orochimaru down on the bed, and pulled Kimimaro into his arms.

"Kimi…you still there…? Kimimaro!!"

Kabuto desperately searched for a pulse in Kimimaro's neck; _please let him still be alive, please let him be alive-_

Kimimaro's pulse flowed smoothly and regularly under Kabuto's fingers, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he felt this. He quickly healed what he could; broken bones, torn muscles, and bruises and bad cuts. Kimimaro woke up shortly after he had finished and thrown his arms around Kabuto.

"Thank you," he murmured, then released Kabuto and stood up. "Come on; Orochimaru-sama's probably freaking out."

Kabuto nodded and pushed himself to his feet, then went over to his bed and sat down next to Orochimaru. The snake sannin fell into Kabuto's chest and slowly put his arms around Kabuto's neck. Kabuto leaned over and gently kissed his forehead, feeling tears once again sting at his eyes as he gazed at Orochimaru's pale face.

Once so proud…

Once so beautiful…

Once so vibrant…

_Here I am, once again!  
I'm torn into pieces.  
Can't deny it, can't pretend-  
Just thought you were the one.  
Broken up, deep inside;  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry…  
Behind these hazel eyes!!_

Orochimaru was shivering again. Kabuto yanked the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around Orochimaru's body, trying to keep him warm. He handed Orochimaru another plasma pill and waited while the sannin swallowed it. Orochimaru then returned to Kabuto's embrace, and the medic quieted him with gentle touches and soothing words. Orochimaru's golden eyes were closed, and the purple shading over them was fully exposed now. Kabuto traced that shading now, watching Orochimaru's facial muscles twitch in response to the touch. Kabuto smiled and continued caressing the sides of Orochimaru's face, occasionally placing kisses on his pale skin and healing a mark. Orochimaru was finally starting to calm down, and Kabuto was glad. He was getting tired, and when Orochimaru fell asleep he was heading straight for Sasuke, and Kimimaro was staying here with Orochimaru so nothing would happen. _But think what happened last time, _an inner voice whispered to Kabuto. _Kimimaro was overpowered, and it looked fairly easy for Sasuke to do so, as he had no marks when you first saw him. _Kabuto shook his head. _Sasuke won't be using a Henge or something this time, because he doesn't expect me to challenge him so soon. But then again, he never was the sharpest tool in the shed…_

"Kabuto…"

Kabuto glanced up at Kimimaro, gazing into the teen's sea-green eyes. "What, Kimi?"

A slow smile worked its way across Kimimaro's lips. "I think he's asleep. Look at him-he's almost cute."

Kabuto checked Orochimaru's pulse. He wouldn't have put it past the sannin to fall asleep on him. He smiled as well and laid Orochimaru back in the bed, spreading the sheets and blanket over him. "Kimi, stay with him, please? If he wakes up, just tell him I went out for a second and I'll be right back. Make sure he doesn't know about Sasuke-"

Kimimaro nodded. "Sure. How long will you be gone?"

Kabuto sighed and ran a hand through his silver ponytail. "I don't even know. If I don't come back in…let's say twenty five to thirty minutes, come after me or send someone. Keep in mind that you can't leave Orochimaru-sama alone, even for a minute, because Sasuke might have done something…pulled some strings, probably."

Kimimaro nodded. "I won't. Oh, and before you go, can I run to the bathroom real quick?"

Kabuto sighed. "Fine, fine, just hurry up!"

Kimimaro nodded and darted into the bathroom. Kabuto exhaled and sat down next to Orochimaru, wondering how he was going to defeat Sasuke. He had the element of surprise on his side, so he could plan something out and then put it into action…or he could just run in, stab Sasuke and run out.

Or he could sit here and heal Orochimaru-like his original plan.

Kabuto sighed and stood up as Kimimaro came back in. "Okay, take care of him. I'll be back."

"Kabuto-sensei?"

Kabuto turned back to Kimimaro. "What?"

"Please…watch your back."

Kabuto smiled. "I will. Thank you, Kimi." He turned and slipped out, quiet as a whisper, leaving Orochimaru with Kimimaro.

OOOOOOOOO

Kabuto tugged the vent cover off the vent and jumped up, pulling the cover back on. Kidomaru watched, amused, as Kabuto did so and helped him seal the vent.

"Ya know where you're going?"

"Sort of," Kabuto said. "It doesn't matter. I'll get there. And make Tayuya and Sakon help, too."

"What about Jiroubou?"

"Show him a cookie."

Kidomaru sighed. "Fine, fine. But that web enhancer had better be good!"

"You won't be under Sasuke's thumb anymore," Kabuto said dryly. "That should be incentive enough. Kimi is with Orochimaru-sama, so he should be okay. But we have to get this done quickly, so Sasuke doesn't go for Orochimaru-sama again."

Kidomaru nodded. "But isn't that why I'm here?"

"I meant get there quickly to seal it all off!"

Kidomaru nodded. "Okay, see you in a couple minutes."

Kabuto nodded and slipped away. He didn't quite trust Kidomaru and the Sounds to stand by him, but he had no other choice. And if they turned on him…he was screwed. But it would be better than seeing Orochimaru constantly abused, and Kabuto was greatly looking forward to that.

Kabuto recognized Sasuke's room immediately; but it may have helped to hear him screaming at Sakon. Kabuto smiled. Well, the double-headed male was very good at stalling…

"So…you want me…to split up with Ukon…and find out what Kusaga is planning…now that Orochimaru is gone…? Dude, that's crazy! Ukon can't survive without me, there's just no way!"

"Do it anyway!" Sasuke hollered. "I don't care if you both end up down the toilet, I just want that information in the drop point by tomorrow!"

Sakon sighed. He knew Kabuto was there, and now he rolled his eyes. _Just a little longer…_

"Come on, we all know Ukon can't even control the body right, and you expect us to go level two for three days total, separated, possibly fighting off enemies at the same time?! _Dude, _hello!!!"

Sasuke growled. "Don't make me come over there!!"

Sakon rolled his eyes again. Kabuto knew Kidomaru would be there any second, and he was waiting for one word.

"Bastard."

Kidomaru walked in, carrying a web and looking pissed. Spiders were climbing all over it, and Sasuke shuddered at the sight. "What…is that…?"

"Hopefully, your doom," Kidomaru snapped. "I have officially wasted enough web on you. So, what I'm going to do now is-"

"Kidomaru, where's my flute?"

Tayuya swept in, hair dripping wet and looking like a drowned rat. Kabuto smiled when he saw her running makeup-she was a fantastic actress, he would give her that.

"I had to chase Jiroubou all over creation, and then he cannonballed into the lake and drenched me!! He claims he doesn't have it, so I bashed him over the head and dunked him for getting me wet, and then I came over here. So-where's my flute?!!"

Kidomaru shrugged. Kabuto recognized his cue and jumped down behind Sasuke. The Uchiha caught him in his Sharingan almost at once, and Kabuto gave him a smirk.

"Well, well, well, someone having a bit of trouble handling life in the Oto? Orochimaru-sama never had this problem. Too bad he can't deal with it. But I can."

"But I wanna get my flute back!"

"He's trying to kill me and Ukon!"

"The web traps have caught nothing but the spiders that made them."

Sasuke sighed. "Oh, life sucks for you three. Speaking of which, where's Jiroubou?"

"At the bottom of the lake, hopefully," Tayuya sneered. Kabuto grinned.

"Come on, Tayuya, you really didn't kill him. So what did you do with him?"

Tayuya shrugged. "I told you, all I ever did was dunk him."

Sasuke sighed. He had never liked the teens to begin with…and then there was Kabuto. "Whatever. Anyway, what are you trying to do, attack me or something? Give me a break."

Kabuto exhaled and focused his chakra. His regenerative abilities were at full power, his chakra scalpel should come up long and deep, and the Sound Four were here to help him. Except for Jiroubou, and he was supposed to have been here a while ago.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Jiroubou grunted. As he shoved open the door, Kabuto couldn't help but snort. Jiroubou looked worse than Tayuya: he was also drenched, but there were several steaming handprints on his face.

"Turd," he muttered, giving Tayuya the middle finger. "I swear I was dead for a second!"

"Because you can't float," Tayuya snapped. "Anyway, we've got issues to settle."

"I know," Sasuke hissed. "So why don't we resolve them some other time, because I have things to do!"

"Ya know," Jiroubou mumbled through a very soggy candy bar, "There was somebody in the hall when I came in. He looked scared to death, but he said that you needed to see something goin' on at the front gates…"

Sasuke seemed to be getting more and more pissed off every second. "I couldn't care less if Hatake Kakashi showed up right now! All of you find a way to work out your issues-!!"

"Start caring," someone called from the back of the room. "Because he's here."

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, right. You expect me to believe that?"

"No, seriously," the ninja said. "He kind of…well, our scouts found him on the border, so we pulled him back. He's not happy about it, though, so the six of us are gonna need some help…"

"_Six?" _Sasuke repeated. "And he's still out of control."

"…pretty much, yeah."

"Six ninja…and he's still _conscious…_all right, I'm coming."

Sasuke pushed aside the doors and stepped into the hallway-

Right into a pool of blood.

He sighed and looked up at the source. "Kakashi, you're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"Yes, I know that," Kakashi muttered. "But I'm not quite sure why. So, why don't you tell me why I'm here?"

"Will you quiet down?"

"If I like the reason."

The resounding slap could be heard several hallways away, and Kakashi fell to the ground, followed by three swift kicks to the ribs. Kakashi took the blows without a sound, glaring up at Sasuke the whole time. When Sasuke finished, he couldn't stop himself from asking,

"Well, what was that for?"

Sasuke grinned. "And you're still as flippant and disrespectful as ever. I can't believe you survived Tsunade this long."

"I did. Now let me go; I haven't done anything."

Sasuke kicked him again, this time producing a surprised and pained yelp. "I hear differently," he said coldly, and pulled Kakashi up by his silver hair. "Play nice, Kakashi," he spat, "And you'll live a little longer."

Kakashi didn't seem satisfied with the answer and lashed out, fingernails slicing four scratches across Sasuke's pale face. Sasuke didn't even recognize the blow at first; when the shock-and the wound-sank in, he sent Kakashi flying with a hard punch to the gut. Kakashi had to smile. "Sasuke…you're as stubborn and unwilling to listen as ever."

"Touché."

Sasuke kicked him again, slamming him into the wall. "Sasuke…don't be an ass…"

"Too late."

With the next strike, Kakashi felt his world fading away, and a veil of red descended over his vision. His previous wounds, in addition to the ones Sasuke had given him, were beginning to take over him, but still he fought. Sasuke must have realized he was still fighting, because the next blow was stunning. Kakashi's red world darkened to black, and he knew it was all over.

**A/N: Special disclaimer for the song: Behind These Hazel Eyes, by Kelly Clarkson. Don't own it. Oh, and the song in chapter 2 was Angel, by Within Temptation. Don't own that either.**

**Okay, now that that's out of the way, review or no next chapter!!! And I chose Behind These Hazel Eyes because the song just seemed to fit, and Orochimaru's eyes are golden, which is kind of like hazel…I have hazel eyes, and this song is, like, my life story, so it's kinda cool… Meh, you probably don't care. Cookies and cake to whoever read this all the way through!!**


	6. Chapter 6: Change

**A/N: Okay, before I even begin, I want to thank two very special people for reviewing and making me feel all arm and fuzzy inside. ****They**** would be:**

**Kantala**

**sound-sheep**

**I love you!!**

**Thanks again ****Kanty****-chan, sheep-****chan/kun (sorry, I don't know which one!! ****TT!!)**

**And now: on with the ****fic!!**

Kakashi awoke to something wet and _cold._

"My God, are all you Konoha shinobi this stupid?" someone was saying. Apparently they had figured out he was awake…

"Stupid little shithead," a slightly-higher voice snarled. Female? Yikes-scary little girl. "Shouldda let Kabuto take him. I'm not good with torture…"

"I am," a male offered. Kakashi groaned.

"I'm going to die."

"By the time we're finished with you, little dipshit, you're gonna wish you were dead," the girl snapped. "Stupid little-"

"Tayuya, language."

Kakashi froze. He knew that voice…!

"And now, Kakashi, I believe we have a score to settle. Or rather, you do. Got anything to say for yourself?"

Kakashi glanced at Kabuto, one exposed eye pleading with him. "Don't do this. I will fight."

Kabuto sighed and stopped next to Kakashi's head. "Shame," he said smoothly. "I didn't want to kill you."

Kakashi sighed. "You don't have to kill me, you know."Kabuto smiled. "Oh, no, I won't kill you. Not when your blood is this smooth and rich…"A knife slid into his flesh, and Kakashi bit back a whine of pain. It wasn't unbearable yet, but it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience!

"I've been dying to show you exactly what you tried to fight," Kabuto whispered, sliding the knife across Kakashi's arm again, drawing a bit more blood. Kakashi sighed. If this was going to go on for hours, he might as well rip off the mask and start biting.

"Leave us."

The rest of the Sound ninja filed out of the room, leaving Kabuto alone with the bound and irritated Kakashi. Kabuto waited until the door had firmly closed to drop the knife and reach for Kakashi's mask.

"Let's see what that pretty face really looks like," he whispered, pushing one finger underneath the thin fabric of the mask.

"Don't."

Kabuto smiled. "So this is your weakness. What, you're so deformed you have to hide yourself?!"

He yanked down the mask, and two gasps ensued.

Only then did Kakashi notice Sasuke standing in the corner.

Sasuke's face twisted into a smirk. "Hello, little whore," he whispered, walking up to Kakashi and giving him a firm kick in the ribs. Kakashi gave a long, drawn-out whine of complaint, and Sasuke kicked him again, if only for the purpose of breaking the long whine.

"What do you want with me?" Kakashi whimpered, panting hard from the strength of the blows.

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm looking for another slave. You know how all good things come in twos?"

Kakashi didn't seem happy with the prospect. "What do you mean 'another?' God, Sasuke, how far have you gone…?"

Kabuto glared at Sasuke. "He's gone as far as to nearly kill Orochimaru-sama. He tied him down, beat him almost unconscious, and then raped him."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "So basically I'm a porn toy?"

Sasuke gave a simple nod that almost shattered Kakashi's sanity once and for all.

"So the only reason I'm being held here against my will is to be played with as a bondage-?!"

Kabuto plastered his hand over Kakashi's mouth, effectively silencing the jounin. "Shut up. The longer you put up with it and do what we tell you to, the longer you'll live."

Kakashi gave Kabuto his best death glare, which was fairly difficult when he was bound, on the ground, and being kept quiet only by a ninja's hand.

Kakashi sighed. He had the feeling this wasn't going to turn out well…for any of them…he sighed again. What he was about to do wasn't exactly glamorous…

Kakashi stuck out his tongue and ran it down the middle of Kabuto's palm.

_"Oh, that is just nasty!!"_Kabuto yanked his hand away, leaving Kakashi's mouth free. Kakashi spat at Kabuto's face, showing him a high amount of disrespect. Sasuke kicked him hard from behind, punishment for the disrespect.

Kakashi spun around, using the momentum to swing to his feet. He had picked up the kunai Kabuto had dropped and was now using it to cut away the ropes someone had taken great care to tie as tightly as possibly around his wrists. The bloody ropes fell to the ground, and Kakashi carefully pulled his mask back up. He just didn't feel comfortable without it.

Kakashi knew he wasn't going to be able to fight both of them at once. Kabuto might give him a little trouble, but other than that he would be okay with him. But Sasuke…Sasuke would be a living hell to battle. He should probably just make a run for it…

And he did.

He hacked blindly at Kabuto, shoving the genin to the ground in the process. Sasuke seemingly didn't have enough time to get to him before he bolted out the door, because it sounded like chaos behind him. Kakashi left his final words hanging over them before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

_I never hated you._

OOOOOOOOOOO

As soon as Kakashi ran, Kabuto scrambled to his feet, hoping to get away before Sasuke had a chance to act. He knew the Uchiha would either punish him or make him go after Kakashi, and that would leave Orochimaru unguarded…

"Get Orochimaru," Sasuke snapped. "The two of you are to pursue Kakashi and capture him alive. If you can't, kill him. He's seen too much."

Kabuto gulped, nodded, and fled the room. His heart pounded; if he could get to Kakashi in time, he could save him…the jounin had no idea what he was up against, and would probably come back to save Sasuke. If Kabuto could convince him otherwise, it might help matters…

Kabuto shoved open the door after unlocking it, drinking in the scene as quickly as he could. Orochimaru was lying quietly in Kimimaro's arms, and the teen was absently stroking Orochimaru's soft black hair. Orochimaru looked up immediately as Kabuto came in, and Kimimaro seemed surprised to see him so soon.

"Did it work?"

Kabuto shook his head. "There were…a few…complications, if you will. Someone new showed up. I have to chase them, now, and as Sasuke's slave, Orochimaru-sama has to as well. That's why I'm taking him far away from here and seeing what will happen if I-"

"Kabuto!"

Kabuto stopped abruptly at the sound of Kimimaro's voice. "What?" he asked softly. He turned away from the many weapons that he was throwing into a bag and gazed into Kimimaro's sea-green eyes.

"You can't take him anywhere. Sasuke will find out almost immediately and catch up very quickly. And not only that, but he will kill anyone or anything that stands in his way."Kabuto sighed and plopped down on the bed next to Kimimaro. He reached over, put his arms around Orochimaru, and gently pulled the sannin into his lap. Orochimaru seemed relieved to have Kabuto back; he immediately settled into Kabuto's lap, tucking himself into the curve of Kabuto's arms. Kabuto almost smiled at the sight; the deadly golden eyes were closed, the long-fingered hands that had frequently been stained with blood were now draped over Kabuto's shoulders, quiet and motionless, and the lethal tongue was kept firmly in Orochimaru's mouth. His powerful jaws were closed, a deceiving hint of what lay beneath those soft, tempting lips…

Kabuto placed a small, chaste kiss on Orochimaru's lips, reveling in the way he tentatively reached up, begging for more as Kabuto pulled away.

"You sexy thing," Kimimaro teased, watching the both of them. Kabuto smiled.

"Which one of us?"

"Orochimaru-sama, of course!"

Kabuto's smile broadened and he cradled Orochimaru in his arms as he stood and kissed him again. "Gee, thanks. Anyway, what are we doing?"

"Going,."

A girl stood in the doorway, long red hair spilling out from underneath a black hat, the base of which was wrapped in bandages. Her tan dress was still drenched from her earlier act, although her make-up still ran a bit. Kabuto glanced at her. "Excuse me?"

"I'm-going. Final. I don't care what you do, little shitheads that everyone here seems to be, but I'm going after that stupid jounin and that's that!"

Kabuto looked down at Orochimaru. "Got anything to say about that?"

"Tayuya, watch your mouth," was the reply. Kabuto glanced back up Tayuya and smiled.

"Well, there's your answer. Anyway, shall we be going, then?"

"Not without me!"

Kidomaru had appeared behind Tayuya, smiling slightly despite the situation. Kabuto nodded. "Good. Any other takers?"

"Me."

Sakon and Ukon had come up on Tayuya's other side, each seeming excited for a fight. "We're a little sick of Sasuke. It's always been about him, and he is a bitch…"

"He won't let me eat chips!!"

Tayuya gave Jiroubou a cursory glance. "Gee, it's such a mystery why," she said dryly. I really should have drowned you when Kabuto-sensei gave me the chance."

"I never gave you a chance to drown him," Kabuto said smoothly. "Now, what's the plan?"

"Kimimaro hides Orochimaru-sama here so he can rest and heal, and we go after Sasuke," Sakon said. "See, we all planned this out while you and that damn jounin were having a love fest. And we came up with this: what I just told you, and that gives Orochimaru-sama to transform into one of us and just say that we were on a different mission and missed Kabuto's call for help on his mission. But only one of us, because Sasuke will see three of us leaving, and only three. The one he picks will pass ourselves off as him, but we need to know now, because Kabuto needs to whip up a little potion for us."

Kabuto handed him a small container. "Done. Latest version; should grow hair and bones for a period of time. I have color contacts somewhere in here…I can make them look like Orochimaru-sama's eyes. And if Tayuya still has make-up…"

Tayuya nodded and darted off, and Kabuto heard the door close firmly behind her. Kabuto gave a curt nod. "Now, since I have nothing to deal with breasts, and seeing as Tayuya is one of our best ninja, Sasuke might ask why we did not attempt first to find you before leaving. And that could get complicated…and like I said: boobs."

Tayuya had just come back, make-up in hand, and promptly bashed Kabuto over the head. "You got a problem with 'em?! I thought not! I think they're kinda sexy-!"

"Shhhhh!! Keep it down!!" Kimimaro reminded them. "Sasuke might hear-!"

Tayuya sighed. "Shut up about my boobs unless you want your face stuck between them!" She almost shoved her middle finger up Kabuto's nose, then thrust the make-up into his hands and walked away again, looking slightly miffed. Kabuto smiled.

"Okay; who's doing this?"

Sakon shrugged. "Ukon might have a problem…and so will Kidomaru. Well, if Ukon can stay in another body…but then his head-"

Jiroubou shook his head. "It's up to me."

Kabuto's eyebrows rose, but he nodded, and Sakon passed the container of…whatever Kabuto wanted it to be to Jiroubou. Jiroubou glanced at the small jar, turning it back and forth.

"What, do I eat it?'

Kabuto nodded. "Just think about what you want to look like and it'll make you look like that."Jiroubou shrugged and wordlessly unscrewed the cap. He sniffed at the substance, and Kabuto handed him a spoon.

"It's like peanut butter."

Jiroubou shrugged again and accepted the spoon Kabuto handed him. "How much?"

"A small mouthful."

Jiroubou swallowed, clearly disgusted with the taste. "Ick…essence of snake."

Orochimaru clearly didn't have the courage to give Jiroubou a death-glare, but Kabuto had already done so. Within the minute, Jiroubou had shrunk down to Orochimaru's height, and his hair was steadily lengthening and growing darker with every passing second. Jiroubou seemed interested in the whole process; he kept glancing down and looking at Orochimaru, settled quite comfortably now against Kabuto's chest. Finally, his height had fallen several inches to Orochimaru's, and his hair was long and flowing. Tayuya cocked her head curiously.

"How do ya feel?"

Jiroubou shrugged. "I dunno…actually, I feel kinda sexy…"

Kabuto sighed. "Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless."

Jiroubou leaned over, looking at his feet. "Hey, I can see my toes now!"

Kabuto sighed and opened the tray of make-up Tayuya had given him. "Let's see…purple…purple…purple…God, how many shades of purple can there possibly be?!"

Tayuya rolled her eyes. "Come here," she said, motioning to Orochimaru and Jiroubou. She snatched the tray back from Kabuto and held it up to Orochimaru's eyes, staring at the shades for a minute.

"Okay, here."

She pointed to a shade, then picked up a Q-tip and brushed a bit of the eye shadow on the back of her hand. "Yeah, that looks good…oh, good, that stuff changed your facial bones. Well, it'll make it ten times easier. One, because you're pretty now and two, because I don't have to create the illusion of shadows with this stuff to make your face loom different."

Jiroubou scowled, but it looked almost threatening on Orochimaru's face. Tayuya sighed as she glanced back and forth between the two ninja. "God, Orochimaru-sama, you're so _white_…have you ever seen the sun in your life?"

Orochimaru ignored the comment and let Kabuto put his arms around his shoulders. Tayuya sighed again. "Okay, I need some foundation…I'll be back."

Kabuto smiled and placed a small kiss in the hollow of Orochimaru's temple, brushing his hair back. "You are really pale. But I like you that way. It's sexy."

Orochimaru almost smiled.

Kabuto felt a rush of adrenaline at his achievement and kissed him again. Orochimaru leaned into the kiss, drawing back to make more contact with Kabuto's body. Kabuto glanced up at the door a second before Tayuya came back.

"Sasuke's coming!"

**A/N: Swell, I got no where in this chapter. But hey, it's kind of funny to see Tayuya and Jiroubou fight, right? So here is the next chapter, and enjoy it!!**


	7. Chapter 7: Flee

Sasuke paced his luxurious room, unable to rest, mind reeling from the impact of Kakashi's words. "I never hated you"? What did that mean…? There was so much that it _could _mean that Sasuke found himself almost feeling guilty abut what he had done to Kakashi…

"Sasuke…just listen to me…?"

"Why should I?"

"Just once, you foolish little child! Just once, do you think that I might have something worth a damn?"

Sasuke stopped, seemingly mulling this over in his mind. "No," he answered saucily, turning his back and walking away.

"Sasuke-sama, why are you wasting your time with this fool?" Sakon hissed, motioning frantically to Sasuke. "Just let us deal with him and then we can be out of here!"

Sasuke glanced at Sakon. "One second," he said, and turned back to Kakashi. "You have exactly ten seconds, otherwise I'll leave you and them to fight it out. And personally, I don't give a shit whether or not you live or die."

That was the last time Sasuke had seen Kakashi until now. And even now, the jounin still chose to flee instead of fighting Sasuke. Maybe he just loved him too much…or maybe he just never gave up on Sasuke and still wanted him to give up on Itachi.

Sasuke thought to himself. 

Sasuke slipped out into the hallway, heading for Orochimaru's room.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Kabuto gasped when he heard Tayuya's warning, glancing around frantically. "What do we do, what do we do, what do we do?!"

Sakon glanced at Jiroubou. "Crap-we don't have enough time to change him, too!"

Kabuto took a deep breath. The worst thing he could do was panic. "Okay, Jiroubou, get in the bathroom. Just pretend to be using it…Orochimaru-sama, come with me. Kimimaro, hold the door closed any way you can."

Kimimaro dropped to the floor in front of the door and braced his feet against it, and Kabuto could feel his chakra flaring up. Several bones pushed themselves out of his arms, and Kimimaro forced one into a flower. "God, I hope this holds…" he braced the bone against the door as well and stood up, but stayed near the door incase Sasuke was stronger than the bone.

"Tayuya, help me with him."

Tayuya draped a long cloak over Orochimaru and pulled him over to where Kabuto was standing, trying to force open a window. Tayuya held Orochimaru to her side, keeping him as close as possible. She turned to Kidomaru and said,

"Help him with that!"

Kidomaru ran over and immediately began shoving against the window. "Damn, Kabuto, have you opened this in years?"

"Hard to get open, isn't it?"

Kimimaro gasped; how had Sasuke gotten through?! What kind of jutsu was he using…? A hand smacked him firmly on the back of the neck, and Kimimaro collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Tayuya whipped around, shoving Orochimaru into Kabuto's arms and pulling out her flute.

"We're the worst possible opponents!" she said, sounding panicky. "I only use genjutsus, and that's exactly what the Sharingan is best against! He can just make a hand seal and we're all fucked-!"

"Tayuya, don't panic; just delay him-Tayuya?"

Tayuya was frozen on the spot, trembling from fright and caught in a genjutsu. Kabuto sighed and smacked her.

Tayuya crumpled to the ground, reeling from the blow. "Thanks," she muttered, standing up. "God, he's as bad as his brother with the illusions!"

"What do you know about Itachi?!"

Sasuke was at Tayuya's side in a flash, pinning her to the wall and glaring at her, Sharingan spinning wildly. "What do you know?" he repeated, setting his hands on her shoulders.

"Not much," Tayuya confessed. "But I do know how his illusions work and everything-"

"What do you know about Tsukiyomi? How is it broken?"

"It can't be," Tayuya said slowly. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see Kabuto open the window and slip out, pulling Orochimaru behind him. She began spewing lies from her very heart.

"Itachi's genjutsus is the bloodline, as you know, and part of it is the strength of a genjutsus. And since Itachi's Mangekyou is so strong, it can't be broken. If you could get the Mangekyou, the same way Itachi did, no one would be able to break your genjutsus, either," Tayuya continued. She tried to keep prattling on and on as much as she could, giving Kabuto and Orochimaru the biggest head start she could. "But that's only if you get it like Itachi did. If it's accidental, like Kakashi's, then you get something different. But it still can't be broken."

"And? How can I get this?!"

"Jeez, you don't know? Your closest friend has to be dead."

Sasuke's gaze fell. "So…I _do _have to kill him. Kabuto!!"

Kabuto jumped down after Orochimaru, took the sannin's hand, and

OOOOOOOOOO

Sasuke glared at Tayuya.

"What?" she whined. "Like I had anything to do with it! I just came because I left my make-up in here…"

"Why was it in here in the first place?" Sasuke hissed.

"Kabuto needed to test a few of the chemicals in them," Tayuya grunted. "Got a problem with that? Now if you excuse me, your dick is rubbing me the wrong way!"

Sasuke glared, but released Tayuya's hips and let the girl flounce out of the room in a huff.

"And you!" Kidomaru glanced up from the window. "…This looks bad…doesn't it…?"

Sasuke slowly nodded, and in a flash had Kidomaru up against the open window.

"You're lucky I don't kill you."

Kidomaru shrugged. "You probably couldn't. My spider thread is sticky, you know."

"Point is, you little prick?'

"You're touching me."

Sasuke looked down at his hands, which were coated with a golden slime. "Agh!! What is this?!"

Kidomaru smirked. "Good bye." He leaned back, pushing himself out of the window. Sasuke sighed.

"Sucks for him; he was actually a decent ninja."

Threads flashed past the window.

Sasuke sighed again and looked down. "Do I ever win?"

"Not against us," Sakon said dryly. "We're just…teenagers, I guess. Trickery, deceit, and lies are our specialty. I mean, how else can we lie to our parents about what we _really _do at each others' houses?"

One of Sasuke's eyebrows rose questioningly. "You…are really…screwed up…"

"Why thank you," Ukon said. "Sakon, can you turn me around-?"

Sakon said firmly. "Bad boy. Stay here, or I won't let you back in." 

"Well, we all know who wears the pants in this relationship," Sasuke laughed, staring at the seething Ukon and the only-slightly-agitated Sakon. Ukon and Sakon both gave Sasuke a glare at this.

"Now, I'm going after the rats," Sasuke spat. "You can stay here, and if I find that anyone was helping them…" Sasuke slid one finger across his throat, and each member of the Sounds gulped at this. "And get Kimimaro out of the doorway."

Sasuke jumped out the window, landing lightly and immediately taking off after Orochimaru and Kabuto. They were so dead when he found them…

OOOOOOOOOO

"Orochimaru-sama, you have to keep going; we can't stop, not now!"

"It hurts!"

"I know…come here, I know," Kabuto consoled, picking up Orochimaru. "I can't carry you for long. Then you're either going to have to run, or we find a nice cave and cast a genjutsu." Kabuto started running again, occasionally glancing up at the clouds. A storm was coming; both good and bad. It would cover his tracks and scent, but it would also make the going harder for him and Sasuke. There wasn't much he could do at this point except keep going.

"Come on," he encouraged, pulling Orochimaru along behind him. "We have to keep going or else-?"

"I know!!"

Orochimaru was obviously tense and on edge; Kabuto could feel him shaking in his arms. Still, he pressed on, concerned for Orochimaru and about Sasuke. He had been running for quite a while now; he wasn't sure exactly how long. But apparently it had been a long time, because a familiar cave came into view…

"I used to come here on missions all the time; I would stop and organize, or rest. I never knew it was so close…"

"Or so far."

"Hm…"

Kabuto veered off to the right and slipped past several large trees to edge into the cave half-hidden behind them. He set Orochimaru down in the back of the shallow cave, opened a trap door, and pulled out a blanket and some food. Seeing Orochimaru's questioning look, he replied, "Don't ask."

Orochimaru smiled. "Okay, then; I won't."

Kabuto spread the blanket over Orochimaru and began poking around the entrance of the cave for some dry wood. When he had found enough, he piled it all in the center of the cave and lit it aflame with a simple fire jutsu. Orochimaru curled up in his lap when he sat down, and Kabuto had to sigh.

OOOOOOOOO

Tayuya gave a sigh of relief as Sasuke leaped out of the window, chasing after Kabuto and Orochimaru. The relief, however, was short-lived, as she suddenly realized that if Sasuke caught up to Kabuto and Orochimaru they would have hell to pay.

"Hurry, fatass!!" she screamed, grabbing the one person still in the room and charging towards the window as well. Kidomaru had just climbed back up the building and swung a giant net across the window, blocking her path.

"Look, as much as I care about Orochimaru, we have to think this through," he said slowly, cimbing through thw window-and the net. "If we try to stop Sasuke, we'll all end up dead. If we try to cut around and warn Orochimaru and Kabuto, we would probably lead Sasuke right to them. And if we find someone else, we might have a shot. So, let's go with either find someone else or wait and pray."

"Yo, anyone seen the newest bitch of the world?"

Kidomaru sighed. "Karin," he greeted heavily. "Really, it's no wonder you and Tayuya get along so well. Actually, you're perfect for what we need to do…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know: Kabuto ran with Orochimaru and then Sasuke went after them. Why'd he wait so long, anyway?"

"Tayuya was crazy enough to try to stall him."

"Tayuya?! You go, girl!!"

Sakon turned around, much to Ukon's discontent, and stared at Karin.

"Sakon…Sakon…! Dude, bitch, don't make me come over there and kick you!!"

Sakon shook himself. "Uh, right…sorry…which potty-mouthed, hot redhead said that..?"

Tayuya sighed and smacked Sakon across the face, jarring Ukon, you glared. Tayuya shivered at the extra head and gave an exaggerated flinch. Ukon sighed.

"Sakon, your girlfriend hates me."

"Wrong redhead."

Karin glared, but said nothing. "You needed me?"

"Find Sasuke and Orochimaru…and Kabuto, too, I guess, but he creeps me out," Kidomaru said.

"I think he's cute!!"

Tayuya glared at Karin; they had both said exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. Ukon smirked.

"Ouch. Better luck next time, buddy."

"Shuddup," Sakon snarled.

Karin smiled. "Well, once I find them, last one there is a virgin!"

"Kabuto's taken, actually," Kidomaru informed them. "He's totally, hopelessly in love with someone else."

"Really?" Karin sounded so crushed Kidomaru almost offered a consolation date; except he knew he would be rejected…despite the fact that Karin was something of a slut. "Who?"

"Orochimaru-sama!!"

Karin's jaw dropped. "He's…gay…all of a sudden, I want to die."

Sakon grinned. "But you're not Lesbian."

Karin sighed and kicked out, catching Sakon in a very unpleasant place. Sakon crumpled to the ground, falling directly on top of a laughing Ukon and groaning in pain.

"I didn't mean it that way-!"

"Too late, sucker!!"

Sakon let out another whine of submissive pain, and Tayuya congratulated Karin on doing something she had been dying to do for years and years. Karin smiled and accepted her praise, and when they had all stopped laughing she began focusing her chakra, trying to find Kabuto's and Orochimaru's.

"Bad news, my children," she said grimly, releasing the jutsu. "Orochimaru's, Kabuto's, and Sasuke's chakra all just went KA-BAM! And Orochimaru was on the bottom of the pile."

A/N: We even get a little humor this round. Lucky you. Thank tx-chan for that.


	8. Chapter 8: Break

Kabuto glanced at Karin. "You're the only one who can track them. You're going to have to-"

"I know, I know," Karin muttered. "Follow me."

She jumped out the window, landing gracefully on the ground and looking up, waiting for the rest of the ninja. "Comin'?"

Tayuya jumped down immediately, followed by Kidomaru and Sakon. Kidomaru glanced back up at the window. "Should I be feeling guilty about leaving Jiroubou behind?"

"No," was Tayuya's immediate answer. Kidomaru shrugged.

"Whatever. Karin, if you would…?"

Karin gave one short nod and sprang off, heading in the direction of Orochimaru's chakra. It was grower weaker and stronger in random spats; Orochimaru was panicking.

"Hurry!" Karin urged as Orochimaru's chakra spiked up again. "He's hurt!"

Karin could feel her heartbeat rising in her chest. She knew she shouldn't panic, but she was feeling more and more nervous as she ran. Orochimaru's chakra was fluttering frantically, and she doubted he could hang on much longer. But the good news was, he was so close…

Karin made a sharp right, leading the Otonin into a cave near a waterfall. Orochimaru's chakra had now been subdued, and as Karin entered the cave she could see why.

Orochimaru was kneeling on the cave floor, in front of Sasuke as the Uchiha repeatedly brought a whip down across his back. Many long gashes had already been drawn, and as Orochimaru lifted his head to cry out in pain again, Karin caught sight of a piece of leather wrapped tightly around Orochimaru's neck. It looked like a collar she had seen in the basement before…it had many dull, tiny spikes on the inside, so if a prisoner was especially feisty they could use the collar to get them under control. But even the Otokage had scruples about using it; he knew the dangers it posed to lives, and most of the time he needed the prisoners to be kept alive as long as possible, if only so he could use them again and again. She was hardly surprised Sasuke was using it; he never really did have scruples, of any kind.

"Get away from him, Sasuke."

Sasuke paused, whip held high over his head, ready to strike Orochimaru again. He slowly lowered it to his side and turned around, glaring at the new Otonin the entire time.

"Well, well, if it isn't my two favorite red-heads," he purred, flexing the muscles in his arms. "I think it's time I put you all in your place…"

Karin snickered. "What kinda little animal do you think I am, brat?" she sneered, raising one hand threateningly. "I'm not your typical little housewife. Now back off, fuckface, before I castrate you!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, heard it all before." He reached down and fastened a leash to the collar on Orochimaru's neck, then kicked him over onto his side.

"Learned your lesson?" he hissed, lifting Orochimaru's face with the tip of his foot. "I should hope so, otherwise I would have to do it again."

As Karin looked Orochimaru over, she took in the signs of abuse: Orochimaru was naked and bleeding from almost everywhere. Blood trickled down the insides of both his thighs, and long scratches raked his sides and front. The whip-gashes on his back were bleeding profusely, and many tiny rivulets of blood ran down Orochimaru's neck from where the spikes had punctured the skin. His legs had clearly been whipped, as well; he had probably tried to run…

Karin sighed. "At least let me take him," she asked, glancing down at Orochimaru. "He doesn't look like a defiant little fighter to me…like one of those teeny little ponies who kick you whenever they see you coming."

Sasuke snorted. "Cute. You grew up on a farm?"

"Near one," Karin said. "I got paid a load of money to exercise the horses, and the tiny little ponies were always the worst. You could see it in their eyes: they hated you for making them leave their grassy pastures and work their sorry asses. It was almost funny…if I didn't get kicked so often. But hey, I made a truckload. Not the point."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and yanked on the leash, causing Orochimaru to let loose a high, shrill yelp of pain and pull as far away as Sasuke would allow. Karin could see he was trembling, and felt Orochimaru suddenly pulling at her heartstrings. He looked so helpless, laying there, bleeding…

"Hey, where's Kabuto?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I think he's in the corner. I knocked him out, but I'm not sure where…"

Kidomaru found Kabuto, checked for a pulse, and picked him up. "He's okay," he said, walking back to the group. "I'm gonna take him back."

Karin nodded. "I'll be along very shortly with Orochimaru."

Kidomaru gave her a short nod and sprang away, carrying Kabuto and nursing the oozing wound on his head. Karin watched him go for a moment, then turned back to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke-want a kiss?"

"Yes, please."

"Close your eyes."

Sasuke sighed, kicked Orochimaru behind him, and put his foot down on the end of the leash. He leaned forward, into Karin's arms, as the girl distracted him with a soft kiss. Sakon and Tayuya snuck behind Sasuke and slowly, soundlessly unclipped the leash from Orochimaru's collar. They pulled him to his feet, and Sakon picked him up, borrowing strength from Ukon. He and Tayuya reached the end of the cave and _ran. _Karin sensed their chakras moving away from her and slowly released Sasuke.

"Sucker," she said smoothly, saluting him. "Boss," she said sarcastically, and took off. Sasuke whipped around, saw what had been done, and swore.

OOOOOOOOO

Sakon could feel Orochimaru shivering hi arms. He knew what had been done without looking that closely: the signs were all over Orochimaru's body.

And he was furious.

As he set the sannin down on his bed, he could feel Tayuya on his other side, sitting down next to Orochimaru and pulling his head into her lap.

"See if Kabuto's okay," she said. "He definitely needs to help him."

Sakon nodded and stood up, heading for the blanket spread on the floor, Kabuto sitting up on it, rubbing his sinuses.

"He completely arrested my chakra," Kabuto was saying. "I don't know how, but he did. If someone can unlock it again…?"

Sakon shrugged. "I can try. I'm not sure how…"

Kabuto sighed. "Then there's only one other way to do this. Sakon, put two fingers here…two here…and two here…and Kidomaru, put two fingers here…" Kabuto continued instructing the two ninja on where to position their fingers. "Okay, on the count of three, shove chakra into my system as hard as you can. It's painful, but it'll work."

Sakon shrugged and did as Kabuto told him to.

"One…two…three!"

Sakon sent short, but incredibly powerful bursts of chakra into Kabuto's chakra system. Kabuto almost screamed in pain; forcing his chakra to flow again wasn't pleasant. But he bit down on his lower lip until it bled, forcing himself to remain silent. Sakon and Kidomaru slowly removed their fingers, and Kabuto tried his chakra. A small smile of victory worked its way over his lips as he realized his chakra was back. He stood up and made his way over to Orochimaru.

"Let's see what I can do for you…"

Kabuto pulled out a kunai and straddled Orochimaru's hips, trying to hold himself over Orochimaru's bruised pelvis. He slowly and carefully began to cut the leather collar away from Orochimaru's neck, being sure not to move it too much. If he did, the spikes on the inside would tear up Orochimaru's skin even more. He finally cut the leather cleanly in half and began removing it bit by bit, pulling directly back to pull the spikes cleanly out of Orochimaru's neck. Orochimaru's every whimper of pain sent a spike lancing through Kabuto's heart. He knew he was doing his best not to hurt Orochimaru, and that was all he could do, but it still pained him to hear Orochimaru's submissive whines.

"Kabuto…"

Kabuto finally pulled the collar away completely and slipped off Orochimaru's hips, turning to acknowledge Tayuya. "What?" he whispered, staring down at the blood-soaked collar.

"You can tell he wants you," Tayuya said, motioning to Orochimaru. "Just give him permission to come to you, already!"

Kabuto raised the kunai, and Orochimaru flinched backwards, clearly afraid of being struck. Kabuto brought the kunai down-

Across the collar.

Kabuto hacked through the leather until it was useless, then threw it to the ground.

"I can't stand it," he growled. "I just can't stand it anymore…"

Tayuya took Orochimaru into her arms, sheltering him from Kabuto's wrath. Kabuto sighed and dropped the kunai as well, turning to Orochimaru.

"Come here," he whispered. "I'm sorry, did I scare you? Come here, it's okay…"

Orochimaru slipped into Kabuto's lap and curled up, clearly content enough there. Tayuya smiled and brushed his hair back from his face, watching him shrink back into Kabuto's arms even more.

Kabuto's right hand was glowing with green chakra, skimming over Orochimaru's body and healing the worst of the wounds. His other hand was around Orochimaru's shoulder, holding the sannin to him and making sure he felt safe. Kabuto finished with the worst of Orochimaru's wounds and looked up to Kidomaru.

"Get the team of medics in here," he said quietly. "I'm almost out of chakra."

Kidomaru nodded and went to find the medical team, and Kabuto released the flow of healing chakra coming from his hand. He gently picked up Orochimaru by the shoulders and legs, trying to evenly support his weight without hurting him. He took Orochimaru into the bathroom, set him down on the floor, and found several clean towels. He dampened them and knelt down in front of Orochimaru, beginning to clean the blood off his body. Tayuya had followed them and she, too, picked up a damp towel and began cleaning off the blood. Kabuto leaned forward and beckoned Orochimaru into his lap, pulling him close and then continuing cleaning off the sticky crimson substance. Tayuya, in turn, moved closer to Orochimaru set to work on his back. She seemed surprised at the whip lashes, but she was wise enough not to say anything.

Kabuto heard the door open and gestured for Tayuya to see who it was. She stood up and left, and Kabuto leaned forward and kissed don on a clean patch of skin on Orochimaru's cheek.

"It'll be alright," he whispered, holding him closer. Orochimaru, though, didn't seem convinced, and simply buried his face in Kabuto's shoulder. Kabuto sighed. He had seen parts of what Sasuke was doing to Orochimaru, and the first thing he did was re-enforce the old doctrine that "slaves should be seen and not heard-" taken to the extreme. Orochimaru had been severely whipped whenever he made a sound, and Sasuke ended up beating him bloody and senseless. Kabuto had tried to stop him, which was when he had been knocked out. And he had missed the rest. But, judging from the state Orochimaru was in when Kabuto had woken up, there had been further "punishment" involved.

Tayuya poked her head back in. "It's the medical team."

Kabuto nodded and stood up, picking up Orochimaru as he went and walking out of the bathroom. He sat down on the bed with Orochimaru in his lap and got comfortable.

"He probably won't want you touching him to begin with," Kabuto said as he settled. "Let alone without me. No sudden movements, and I wouldn't touch his head or his hips," he continued. "Sasuke was…kind of rough, I guess you could say, so I really don't need him panicking. Don't touch his neck, either."

The five medics nodded, and one sat down next to Orochimaru. "Come here…it's okay…"

Eventually, Kabuto and the medic managed to coax Orochimaru to sit up slightly away from Kabuto so the medics could heal him. As he did so, the team got a better view of his body, and several audible gasps were heard echoing throughout the room.

"My God, he looks terrible!"

"What happened?"

"Did Sasuke do this?"

Kabuto picked up on the whispers running wild, but he could care less at this point. He held both of Orochimaru's fragile hands in his own, trying to reassure him that he was still there. Orochimaru was silent the entire time, occasionally biting back cries of pain as wounds were hit or touched. Kabuto knew it was from the beating Sasuke had given him; Orochimaru was probably more afraid of being struck than anything else at this point.

Finally, the five medics together were able to heal Orochimaru, and by then Orochimaru's nerves were shot. His head was high, his eyes were wide with fright, and his breath was coming fast through his nose. His hands were shaking in Kabuto's; the genin reached forward and pulled him back into the circle of his arms to try to calm him down.

"Thank you so much," he was saying. "I healed the worst of it, but I ran out of chakra so I had to call you in….I really can't thank you enough-"

"Anything for Orochimaru-sama," one girl was saying. "He's done so much for us-we can't give enough in return. Not to mention we all hate Sasuke at this point, but loving Orochimaru-sama helps," she added with a crooked smile.

Kabuto nodded. "Well, he's probably going to snap any second, so I should probably put him down to sleep or something…if he isn't too scared to."

The girl nodded. "I feel bad, though," she said. "He's not even himself anymore…it's gonna take a lot of work to get him out of that."

Kabuto sighed. "We're working on getting Sasuke out of the way first," he said. "And then we can work him back into himself. Sasuke's only going to destroy any progress we make."

The girl nodded again. "Alright; we'd best be going. Good luck with him."

Kabuto nodded, and the medics slowly filed out of the room. Kabuto remained in exactly the same position, Orochimaru in his lap, running his hands through the sannin's soft black hair. As Kabuto's fingers became sticky, he glanced down at the spots of blood still remaining on Orochimaru's body. He wondered if the high-strung snake would allow him to clean him up a little more…right now, Orochimaru looked like a wound-up racehorse.

Kabuto carefully picked him up, making sure he didn't make any sudden movements. He carried Orochimaru back into the bathroom, picked up one of the towels he had brought in earlier, wet it, and continued cleaning Orochimaru's body.

"You really love him…don't you…?"

Kabuto glanced up, startled, and saw Kimimaro in the doorway. The teen's eyes were glazed over and glassy, and Kabuto turned on his knees to stare at Kimimaro.

"Kimi, what's wrong?"

Kimimaro shook his head. "I've been trying…all this time…to show you…do you…hate me, or something? Why are you ignoring me?"

Kabuto stood up, wiping his hands on a clean spot on the towel. "Kimi, what are you talking about?"

Kimimaro stared at Kabuto. "You don't see it, do you? Are you blind?! Or do you just not want to see it?"

Kabuto continued to stare. "Kimimaro, what are you talking about? This isn't about all the attention Orochimaru-sama gets, is it?"

Kimimaro shook his head, tears spraying off his face. He raised one hand and wiped them away, then took a shaky breath and faced Kabuto again.

"I like you, dumbass."

A/N: Yay love triangles!!


	9. Chapter 9: Gallop

Kabuto stared. "Kimi…"

Kimimaro just stared right back. "I know you need to focus on Orochimaru-sama," he whispered. "But just this once…could you do something or me?"

Kabuto vaguely noticed Orochimaru standing up and slipping away, and Tayuya and Kidomaru taking him into their arms and pulling him away. Kabuto put down the towel he was holding and stood up, slowly approaching Kimimaro.

"Kimi, talk to me," he pleaded. "Orochimaru-sama has to be top priority: I can't help it if I can't-"

"Shut up," Kimimaro growled. "Just shut up and listen for once, slimy-"

Kabuto leaned forward, taking one of Kimimaro's hands in his own, and kissed him.

Kimimaro stopped talking in shock, staring, wide-eyed at Kabuto. Kabuto sighed and stepped back. "Are you going to listen to me now?"

Kimimaro shuddered. "I-Kabuto-sensei, I…"

Kabuto shook his head. "No, now listen. I need to take care of Orochimaru-sama and kill Sasuke…or at least, get his body for Orochimaru-sama. I don't have time for you right now-"

"Kabuto-sensei, please-!"

"Kimi, no! I can't afford any distractions right now! I can't deal with this…I just can't…especially not now…"

Kimimaro looked so heartbroken Kabuto regretted his words immediately.

"You just don't get it…do you…? This is a different kind of love, Kabuto! The real kind, not like Orochimaru gives you! This isn't just sex!"

Kabuto flinched at Kimimaro's words. "Kimi…I know you're upset, but please, don't say that…Orochimaru-sama does really love me, and I don't think I would be able to live without him. I…I've always envied you, really, because Orochimaru-sama favored you so much. And then I looked at myself and realized that…he actually cared about me, not because of my blood, or my bones, or my eyes…but because I'm the only one brave-or foolish-enough to love him, and stay with him…through it all. If you want to tear that apart, go ahead and try. I can assure you that I will only hate you more for it."

Kimimaro glared at Kabuto. "What is wrong with you?" he whispered venomously. "Can't you see? Orochimaru is plying you: just like Sasori!"

Suddenly, Kabuto knew Kimimaro had gone too far. His blood boiled, and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

"How…dare…you…? What the hell gives you the right to say that? Have you ever been enslaved so badly that you didn't even know you were a slave?! Have you ever killed so many so young that you didn't even know killing is wrong? Have you ever even known what pain is like?! Have you ever had to go through the pain of watching your best friend die, then get better only to realize he's jealous of your current lover?!"

Kabuto abruptly stopped, suddenly aware of what he had just screamed to the world. It was no secret, but knowing people knew was one thing…screaming it at the top of your lungs was something else.

Kimimaro stared.

"You…you…loved me…that much…?"

Kabuto shoved past Kimimaro, through the doorway, out the door, and through the lair. Numb tears flowed down his face as he ran, having no idea where he was going. He vaguely picked up traveling through several corridors and up flights of stairs before he ended up on the roof. He collapsed against the swell, feeling the tears finally begin to slow down. He sat there for an indefinite amount of time. It could have been five minutes; it could have been five hours. Kabuto never did find out, but soft footsteps drew his attention to a lone figure approaching him.

Orochimaru was silent as a shadow as he settled next to Kabuto, placing his head against Kabuto's shoulder and practically begging: "Pet me!!"

Kabuto smiled as he took in Orochimaru's appearance. The rest of the Sounds had cleaned him up, and he was dressed in his usual Sound outfit. Kabuto smiled as Orochimaru closed his eyes and settled in Kabuto's lap, looking far too innocent for his own good. As Kabuto rhythmically ran his hands through Orochimaru's black hair, he noticed that all the blood had been washed out of it, and that it had returned to its usual silky softness.

"I heard you," Orochimaru started timidly. Kabuto sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"…you don't have to apologize for anything. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

"No…it's mine."

Kabuto looked up sharply as a new figure appeared on his other side.

"I'm sorry, Kabuto-sensei," Kimimaro murmured, kneeling in front of Kabuto. "You're right: I am jealous. I…always admired you, and always thought of you as the brother I never had. I always wanted to have your attention like Orochimaru-sama did…I always thought you loved him more…that I had something to prove to you, that I had to be better or you wouldn't pay any attention to me. I realize now that I have been selfish, and have upset the two most important people in my life."

Kabuto sighed. "Kimi, when you choose one extreme or the other, let me know."

The smallest of smiles flickered across Kimimaro's face. "I'll settle for groveling until I have assurance that I won't be fed to Sasuke."

Kabuto smiled. "I wouldn't feed you to Sasuke under any circumstances…well, almost none."

Kimimaro shook his head. "Not the point. I just want you to know that I'm sorry, that's all…."

Kabuto nodded. "These are very stressful times, Kimimaro," he said slowly. "We can't afford to make any mistakes, otherwise Sasuke will take advantage of them and use them against us. I can't wait any longer, and neither can Orochimaru-sama-we're going to have to take Sasuke's body this week or not at all."

Kimimaro sighed. "Should I be helping?"

"Yes, you should," Kabuto said tartly. "Go find out where Sasuke is, and get the rest of the Sounds up here. Speaking of which, has anyone seen Jiroubou?"

"He's in the middle of changing back," Kimimaro said dryly. "Really, you should have seen it: Orochimaru-sama with red hair? Yikes…I don't recommend it."

Kabuto smiled. "Actually, he was doing an experiment a few years ago and it blew up in his face…his hair was electric green for a while."

Orochimaru glanced up. "And then it turned pink," he said ruefully, "And I think we were all sorry!"

Kabuto laughed. "Yes, we were. Your animosity seems to change with the color of your hair…"

Orochimaru gave no comment. Kabuto sighed. Of course; he had just been through-

"So, do we have any idea where Jiroubou is?"

Kabuto shook his head.

"Sasuke?"

Kabuto shook his head again.

"Sounds?"

"Orochimaru-sama's room."

Kimimaro nodded, and sank into the tiles of the roof, heading for the Sounds. Kabuto exhaled and pulled Orochimaru further into his lap. "Do you ever stop making trouble?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "Not really. There was that time I switched out a couple of the…contents of the refrigerator…"

"Oooooooh, _you _did that?" Kabuto sighed. "So _that's _why the salsa tasted like jalapeños for a week and a half…"

Orochimaru shrugged. "I was bored."

Kabuto sighed. "As expected of you when you have nothing to do."

Tayuya appeared in a cloud of smoke, Kidomaru and Sakon right behind her. Jiroubou was another ten minutes, and Kimimaro was still another four.

"Sorry I'm late," Kimimaro said politely. "Had to clear Sasuke out. I spun him around a few times in the hallway."

Kidomaru snorted. "What did you _really _do?'

Kimimaro blushed. "I…kind of told him…a hot girl was looking for him in his room."

Kabuto resisted the urge to bash his head into the swell of the roof behind him.

"He fell for it?"

Kimimaro nodded. Kabuto sighed and stood up, pulling Orochimaru up with him. He held the sannin to him with one arm around his waist, and motioned for the rest of the Sounds to follow him. He began feeling around for a specific tile he had set a trap door into years ago. It was four steps from the edge, two to the left…there. Kabuto pressed in on the tile and opened the trap door, pushing Kidomaru down first and instructing him to look around for anyone else: anyone at all. Kidomaru said no, and Kimimaro went down next, helping Orochimaru down as he did so. Tayuya and Sakon followed, then Kabuto, who closed the door and sealed it again. Kabuto pulled Orochimaru into the middle of the Otonin and stayed with him, sharp eyes darting back and forth, searching for danger. Kimimaro had already drawn a bone sword, something Kabuto took as slightly ominous.

Tayuya sniffed at the air.

"I smell something. I don't know what, but it's not friendly…"

Kabuto glanced at his surroundings. "We're right by the animal wing of the complex…" he murmured, thinking aloud. "Does everyone here know how to ride?"

"Horses?" Kimimaro asked. He shrugged. "I guess…"

Kabuto nodded. "Any objections?"

No one said a word.

"We're getting out of here a little faster than we normally would."

"What are you talkin' about?" Sakon asked. "You mean we're running away on horseback?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Why not? Saves energy for us, and it's about the same speed…"

Tayuya sighed. "Whatever. Just get us out of here! Smells like Sasuke!"

"Kimimaro, do you know where the hunting dogs are?"

Kimimaro nodded.

"Find the best five and bring them with us. They obey every basic command, so just call them and they'll come."

Kimimaro nodded and spilt off, heading for the dog kennels. "Tayuya, grab saddles and bridles. Kidomaru, help her. Sakon and Ukon, help me get the horses."

Kabuto grabbed several lead ropes and ran out to the fields, catching two horses and bringing them into the stables at the same time. Both were mares; one was a steel gray, the other a brown. He handed them both to Kidomaru and ran off, coming back this time with a black stallion and a spotted gelding.

"Take him," he said, handing the stallion to Orochimaru. "His name is Noirceur. He's the best one here…relatively young, around six years old, comfortable, and very easy to handle. You'll like him."

As Tayuya passed, Kabuto heard her "cough," "Stud-muffin."

Kabuto smiled. "Actually, he is a stud."

Tayuya shook her head. "No, I meant Orochimaru-sama."

Kabuto sighed and took Noirceur's bridle from her. "Whatever. We don't have time for this. Just put the saddle on and I'll bridle him. He likes to lift his head up."

"I'm taller than you."

"He bites sometimes."

"He's all yours."

Kabuto pulled the spotted gelding down the aisle and handed him to Kimimaro. The dogs were crowding at his heels, panting and slobbering. Kabuto grinned and whistled; a lone Husky trotted up to him and sat down in front of him. Kabuto ruffled the dog's fur and whistled for the dog to follow. The dog followed him to the other end of the aisle, where he tied his horse and told the dog to sit. Kidomaru handed him the last bridle and then went to get a horse for himself.

"She's in a stall," Kabuto called after him. "Last one on the right. Name is Brise, gray."

Tayuya glanced at the horses. "We're missing one!"

"Panda's in the field. You know what he looks like?"

Tayuya nodded. "Thanks."

Kabuto quickly saddled and whistled for his dog. The slobbering canine followed eagerly, and Kabuto went out just as he saw Tayuya pulling a reluctant pinto gelding behind her. The horses black-and-white splashed legs were moving slowly, despite Tayuya carrot bribe.

"Get him, girl!"

The dog went careening towards the horse, jogging along behind him and snapping at his rear whenever the gelding slowed down. Tayuya nodded her thanks to Kabuto, and Kabuto headed back into the stable. A huge black dog was laying next to Orochimaru, chewing on hoof clippings and seemingly content enough there. Kabuto slid the bit into Noirceur's mouth, then handed the reins to Orochimaru. He led the horse outside, swung up into the saddle, and waited. Kimimaro was close behind him, mounting a gray mare and walking over next to him. The dogs came out with Tayuya, riding a black-and-white pinto gelding.

"He's cute," Tayuya said, patting the horse's neck. "I didn't realize we had this many animals…"

"The dogs are for tracking and hunting," Orochimaru said absently, as if he was lost in a daydream. "The horses are for this purpose exactly. We have snakes, of course, for security, and Kabuto insisted on some birds for tracking, communication, and hunting. There are a few cats scattered around for the mice, and I think Kabuto adopted a squirrel or something like that…some small rodent."

"It's a hamster," Kabuto spat, swinging into the saddle. "I found it in the woods, all torn up, and healed it. It's my pet, all right? I think it's cute."

Orochimaru smiled. "Eight. What did you name it again?"

Kabuto blushed. "I named it Bear."

Tayuya snickered. "Okay, are we getting out of here or what?"

"Waiting on Jiroubou and Sakon."

As each was mentioned, they walked out of the stable, Jiroubou leading a massive bay gelding, Sakon leading a smallish chestnut horse.

"It's not like this is any faster," Sakon complained, mounting. "Why do we have to-?"

"Because it _is _faster," Jiroubou countered. "And we can take the dogs, too."

Kabuto whistled, and the pack of five dogs loped up to them, slobbering and barking. Kabuto spurred his horse into motion, the rest of the Otonin behind him.

The complex was swiftly left behind.

OOOOOOOOOO

The thunder of hooves alerted Sasuke almost immediately.

He whipped around, parting the curtains over his window, and stared as he saw Kabuto galloping away, leading the rest of the Sound Five and Orochimaru. He grit his teeth in anger; they had chosen the fastest horses, and taken dogs!

"Get me the fastest horse you can find!" he hissed to one of the many servants around him. "Now!"

As Sasuke followed the girl to the stables, he seethed.

A/N: Just thought it would be cute…animals are, like, never involved in Naruto, so just wanted to see what it would look like. Review please, no flaming!!


	10. Chapter 10: Deadlock

"Well, this is great; just great!"

Tayuya had taken the lead only a few minutes ago, Kabuto slightly behind her, and Orochimaru behind Kabuto. Tayuya pulled to a halt, gathering Panda into stride and stopping him. "Shit, this sucks…"

"Tayuya, language," Kabuto reminded her. He stopped just after her and looked at the large tree that had fallen across their path. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Three options: one, go back and find a way around. Two, try to move it. Three, and probably the best one, jump it. I know the horses are all capable; but can every here make that jump and stay on? That's a good two and a half, three feet there."

Orochimaru shrugged. "I know I can make it," he said. "And Tayuya probably could, too. Kidomaru…probably. Sakon is working with Ukon, so if they grip tight enough with their legs and stay off Moose's back, he'll be okay. She jumps round. Jiroubou and Midori should be okay, and Kimimaro and Brise will be fine. That's everyone…oh, the dogs?"

Kabuto nodded. "They're fine."

Orochimaru shrugged. "Then what are we waiting for?"

He kicked Noirceur forward, catapulting towards the tree. Noirceur cleared it easily, and Kabuto moved after him. Tayuya was close behind Kabuto, followed by Sakon, then Kidomaru, then Kimimaro, and finally Jiroubou.

"Nice," Tayuya panted, breathing slightly from the adrenaline. "Real nice one, here," she said, patting Panda's neck. The horse shook his head, pawing at the ground.

"Aw, he wants to go again," she cooed, leaning over and hugging the horse. Kidomaru gaped.

"Tayuya…has a soft side…!"

"I'm a sucker for cute animals," Tayuya confessed. "And this one has

Kabuto sighed. "Alright, let's go. We're all alive, right?"

"Barely," Jiroubou muttered. "I'm starting to lose the barbecue that I call lunch!"

Tayuya snorted. "Stay downwind," she said dryly. "No one wants to smell it!"

Jiroubou glared, but said nothing. "Back of the line, loser," Tayuya said, smirking. "Nobody wants to smell it!"

Jiroubou sighed but complied-with a bit of grumbling. Tayuya grinned and took off again, calling over her shoulder, "Let's go, slowpokes!"

Orochimaru felt s small smile work its way over his face as he kicked Noirceur forward again. The stallion darted ahead, eager to be going, and Kabuto followed. The dogs ran at his heels, panting and shaking their fur. Kidomaru sighed and followed Kabuto, leaving Jiroubou and Sakon behind. Sakon gave no reaction, simply asking his horse to follow the rest. Jiroubou was in a foul mood and just let his massive horse follow his friends. Tayuya and Panda were going flat-out: Orochimaru had trouble keeping up until she slowed to a canter.

"Everybody slow down for a second!"

Orochimaru pulled up again, glancing over his shoulder. "wehat? I don't see anything-"

"I smell smoke."

Kabuto sniffed at the air. "Come to think of it, I smell it, too…wanna go back?"

Tayuya shook her head. "It's up ahead."

"Exactly," Orochimaru said. "We can't go through it, can we?"

Tayuya grinned and twisted in her saddle. "Oi, fatass! Come back up here!!"

Jiroubou caught up to Tayuya, glowering. "What, potty mouth?"

"See if you can mud-cannonball the fire up ahead out of the way when we come to it."

Jiroubou shrugged. "Only if you admit I'm not fat."

"Admit?" Tayuya laughed. "More like lie-"

"Just get out of the way!" Kabuto snapped. Jiroubou sighed and took the lead, looking around warily. Kabuto and Tayuya edged ahead of Orochimaru, keeping him in the middle of the pack. The dogs stuck close to Kabuto, and a hawk was circling overhead.

Sakon heard the pounding hooves and started.

"Kabuto…we have company!"

Kabuto swore almost as badly as Tayuya and dropped back to Sakon. "What?"

"Someone's coming; I combined Ukon's hearing with mine, and I think Sasuke's onto us!"

Kabuto swore again and began forming the signs for a jutsu. Sakon watched with interest as Kabuto finished the jutsu and held the hand sign, initiating a genjutsu.

"It's like a zebra's stripes," he explained. "It'll make it hard for Sasuke to pinpoint one of us-he'll be shooting half-blind. Of course, he might get lucky, but this should make it harder for him to get one of us, or at least, Orochimaru-sama."

Sakon nodded. "Any way I can help?"

Kabuto sighed and released the hand sign. "Just be ready to fight," he said quietly. "I can't let Orochimaru-sama go; not again. He can't handle it, either. So please…be ready."  
Sakon nodded. "Ukon-bitch, you hear that? No sleeping for much longer, and you have to help me!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Kabuto nodded once and moved up again, staying next to Orochimaru. Neither spoke a word; none were needed. Kabuto sometimes suspected that Orochimaru could read minds; or at least, his. The sannin always seemed to know what he was thinking, or just what to say to him at just the right time-

"Kabuto…"

Orochimaru's golden eyes were absent, as if he were lost somewhere else. "If something happens…what are we going to do? Sasuke probably planned everything-we're just running blindly…if he catches us, what are we going to do?"

Kabuto exhaled as slowly as he could, turning this over in his mind. Orochimaru trusted him-he couldn't betray that trust, he just couldn't! "Well, we fight. It's nothing we can control at this point…it's not up to me to decide who attacks when, or how, and who makes it…and who doesn't. It's nothing we can control anymore. We just have to hope, and see what happens."

Orochimaru looked down seemingly deep in thought. "Here," he finally said, pulling a scroll out of his kunai pouch and shoving it into Kabuto's hands. Kabuto glance down at it, confused.

"It's a summoning…for the snakes. Just summon one, sign the contract, and tattoo the summoning on your arm. They prefer left, but you can use right."

Kabuto smiled. "I will…thank you."

Orochimaru took a deep breath and glanced up. "Well, then," he said slowly. "It seems we have to deal with a few problems before we can go any further…pull up!"

Tayuya slid to a halt the second before Orochimaru issued the order to halt. Jiroubou had fallen back again, probably out of fright, and was now slightly behind Orochimaru. Kimimaro had remained silent the whole time, but now a low, gravelly growl rose in his throat, not unlike the ones rising in the dogs' throats as they stopped near Kabuto. Their fur was rising, hackles coming up, and teeth bared. Kabuto sighed and strengthened the genjutsu as they rounded the last corner.

In front of them was a roaring fire, and in front of that, was Uchiha Sasuke, seated on a gray stallion, with legions of Otonin behind him.

Kabuto sighed. "Always has to overdo it…you and Orochimaru-sama both. Probably something you learned from him."

"Don't lecture me, brat," Sasuke snapped. "I have to kill you to gain access to a certain power I need to defeat Itachi."

Kabuto snorted. "I can't really see how you see me as your closest friend. You certainly don't treat me like it, so I can't quite return the favor."

Sasuke chuckled. "Come on, I'm only using you as an excuse! Surely you're not that stupid?!"

"The jutsu won't work unless the love is true."

Kabuto turned around to stare at Orochimaru. "How do you know?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "I did a little research."

Sasuke smiled. "Well, then, I have to thank Orochimaru for being so stupid as to let me know that," Sasuke said. "Now I get to kill him!"

Kabuto sighed. "Sasuke, you're reckless," he said slowly, shaking his head. "I never imagined this day would come…the day I actually had to use

Orochimaru's eyes widened. "Kabuto, don't-"

Kabuto ignored him, reaching behind his back to wrap his hand around a syringe. "Orochimaru-sama, are you doing this or not?"

Orochimaru sighed. "Might as well…someone hold the horses. This is gonna scare the crap out of them…"

Tayuya took the two horses Kabuto and Orochimaru handed her and sighed. "Jiroubou, can you form a little…cave, or something, were we can put them?"

Jiroubou sighed. "One minute she loves me, the next minute she hates me," he muttered as he formed a half-way-formed dome; a wall of earth in a circle around the horses. The rest of the Sounds jumped off and stood behind Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"Well?"

Orochimaru sighed and extended his arm. Kabuto handed him the syringe and pulled out an identical one, which he pushed into a vein in his arm. Orochimaru did the same, and Kabuto waited for him to finish before pulling out a scroll and forming hand signs around it. Orochimaru flinched, seemingly in pain, but did nothing. Kabuto finished his jutsu and unrolled the scroll, glancing at Orochimaru. The sannin formed a single hand sign and nodded to Kabuto. Kabuto spread the scroll and smeared his blood on it.

The earth began to shake.

"Snake style: Merge of Hearts!"

Kabuto could feel Orochimaru's heart beginning to skip to meet with his own. He was trying to be as gentle as possible, but it was hard…finally, their hearts were synched, and Kabuto reached out, clasping hands with Orochimaru-

An explosion of chakra flattened the forest for a mile around them.

Orochimaru drove himself further into Kabuto's jutsu than he ever had-they had never taken it to this level before. He moved even closer, binding their lives and allowing Kabuto to control him by a mere thought.

"Go!"

Orochimaru sprang forward, Kusanji in his hands, and attacked Sasuke with more ferocity than ever before. Kabuto's hands moved in accordance with his own, moving Orochimaru like a puppet with no strings.

"Puppet Master Imitation!"

Kabuto moved again, this time putting Orochimaru right in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha growled and jumped off his horse, whipping out his katana and beginning a duel with Orochimaru.

Jiroubou slammed his hands into the earth, pulling them up again with a huge orb of pure earth in his hands. "Heads up!" he called. "I'm dealing with the rest of them!"

Tayuya whipped out a flute and a scroll. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Three hulking Doki appeared, each blinded in some way and holding enormous weapons. Tayuya's level one seal appeared, spreading and allowing her to take control of the Doki. Sakon and Ukon had long since gone level two and split, each heading for Sasuke from a different direction. Kidomaru was shooting spiders, arrows, and kunai at random, aiming for the enemy in general. Sasuke and Orochimaru were locked in combat, Kabuto using Orochimaru as a puppet. The genin was struggling to keep up with Sasuke's speed, but he knew it was only way to ensure Orochimaru wasn't injured. If Orochimaru was struck, since his and Kabuto's lives were semi-linked, Orochimaru would heal any wound he had-so long as Kabuto could. And in return, Kabuto could use all of Orochimaru's skills-including the Fuushi Tensei. They could use each other as puppets, and they could use each other's skills. They could borrow strength from each other, and chakra. But there was one drawback.

If one was injured, so was the other.

Fortunately, Kabuto's healing abilities protected both from most of the damage. But if someone were to get a hold of one and not the other…there was a release, but it was long and complex. Most of the time, you simply waited for the effects to wear off in about an hour. Kabuto had devised a safety measure; a catch of sorts, that would immediately release the jutsu, but it was a true last resort, as it took all of the chakra you had left and momentarily stunned you.

Kabuto moved Orochimaru out of the way of an exploding kunai and moved again for Tayuya's Doki. The one with the club swung forward, reaching out to smash Sasuke. The Uchiha cursed and jumped in the other direction, away from Orochimaru. Kabuto initiated a fire jutsu, Orochimaru doing the same. He had switched back to movement imitation, and now there was double the fire pouring down on Sasuke.

As Kabuto and Orochimaru tapered off the flame, Kabuto couldn't help but wonder how long this battle would go on, and who would live-and who would not.

A/N: Review, please. No flames.


	11. Chapter 11: Punishment

Kabuto waited.

The silence was hardly reassuring; there was no sign of life at all, but there was nothing to show that a battle had just occurred. What had happened to all the traitorous Otonin and their rogue leader? Where was Orochimaru? And where were the Sounds still loyal to Orochimaru?

Kabuto used his puppet imitation to bring Orochimaru back to him, cutting the strings he had attached to Orochimaru's body to allow him to move freely. However, the damage-double would still be in effect for another twenty minutes, or until Kabuto removed it. Kabuto swallowed hard and slipped his hand into Orochimaru's.

"Slaves do as they're told."

Kabuto started at the voice from behind him, and suddenly he was wrenched away from Orochimaru. In a last-ditch effort to save him, he cut the jutsu short, feeling his chakra leave him, but also Orochimaru.

"Now, obey me!"

Kabuto could feel his body thrown away from Orochimaru, and someone screamed. With a start, he realized it was himself; crying out for Orochimaru to move, to get out of there. But still, the sannin knelt on the ground, paralyzed by fear. Then, the entire world faded to black with one quick strike.

OOOOOOOOO

"Clear the table."

Orochimaru quietly did as he was told. Two weeks later, and he was still feeling the effects of Sasuke's punishment. Sasuke rose and went into his bedroom, for what Orochimaru didn't care. He was finally alone, and he wanted it to last. He obediently went about cleaning up after Sasuke's dinner, lost in thought and moving by rote.

Two weeks…after Sasuke had knocked Kabuto out, he had taken Orochimaru into hand and brought him back to Otoga. And there, Orochimaru was punished severely by Sasuke's own hand. When Kabuto regained consciousness, he and Orochimaru were forbidden to see each other. The Sound Five were reduced to genin and given only the lowest of D- and C-ranked missions. Since Tayuya held the highest position of all the original Sounds (partly because Sasuke had a romantic interest in her) she was often called upon to wait on Sasuke. She still acted cold and distant to him, going as far as to tell him flat-out that she had no interest. Sasuke asked if there was another; Tayuya said no, lying to begin with. Sasuke backed off slightly, for whatever reason or the other, Tayuya didn't care.

She and Kimimaro continued to see each other in secret.

Kabuto was also reduced to a genin and was often isolated and alone. He did, however, maintain contact with the Sound Five and continued to attempt to keep Sasuke off Orochimaru, even to the slightest degree. It was mainly Tayuya "taking Sasuke's attention away from Orochimaru" but it was not unheard of for one of the other Sounds to insinuate that Sasuke might kill Orochimaru if he continued to treat him so roughly. Sasuke would often back off after that, but Orochimaru was still hurt. Kabuto would heal him whenever he could, but they both knew the consequences would be dire if Sasuke ever found out.

"Hurry up!"

Orochimaru sighed and finished wiping the table, then washed off the cloth he had used, folding it neatly and setting it next to the sink. He walked to Sasuke's bedroom and knocked twice on the door, letting Sasuke know he was coming in.

Sasuke was lying on one side, reading a scroll and surrounded by servants. He barely glanced up when Orochimaru walked in, instead only looking up to who had entered.

"Did you finish in the kitchen?"

Orochimaru nodded. Sasuke glared up angrily.

"Speak, slave! Did you finish?"

"Hai."

Sasuke nodded. "Good. Dismissed."

Orochimaru bowed respectfully and slipped away again. Tayuya, who was leaning against the wall, glanced at Sasuke's expression. The entire time he had been talking to Orochimaru it had been disgust; now, it was only disinterest and possibly boredom. Tayuya sighed.

"Sasuke-sama? May I be excused for a moment?"

Sasuke gave a curt nod. "You have five minutes."

Tayuya breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out into the next room. Orochimaru was sitting quietly on the floor, eating what could probably be called food if you were a desperate raccoon poking around in a garbage can.

Tayuya sighed and pulled it out of his hands, giving him a fresh apple.

"Eat quickly," she advised, seeing Orochimaru's questioning look. "Before Sasuke misses it."

Orochimaru smiled. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "As you can tell, the leftovers from three days ago aren't very appetizing…"

Tayuya sat down across from him, looking him over. Orochimaru, apparently, didn't have many things left to his own decision. He was wearing a fishnet shirt an tight leather pants, which, Tayuya knew from experience, was not to Orochimaru's taste at all. She sighed and leaned over, whispering to Orochimaru,

"Has Sasuke been using you as a sex toy?"

Orochimaru's skin flushed so badly it almost looked normal.

"Well, since there's really no rosy way to say it…"

Tayuya sighed. "Something has to be done…"

Orochimaru shrugged. "What can we do? We've all been forbidden to see each other, Sasuke has me on a tight leash-often literally-and I can't get this off," he said, motioning to the collar around his neck. "It responds to chakra, and also whenever I try to get it off. Sasuke seems to be able to control me with it…or at least, cause me excruciating pain in which I am forced to obey his every whim and whine."

Tayuya flinched. "Ouch. So you've got a bad deal…" She shook hr head sadly. "A mere slave…even the servants have it better than you. At least we get to choose what we eat…"

Orochimaru sighed. "Technically, I'm allowed to…as long as Sasuke won't miss it."

Tayuya snorted. "I suppose you drink from your hands while washing the dishes because Sasuke won't let you drink at all?"

Orochimaru glared. "Not that bad; he lets me drink occasionally, but it's never much, so yes, actually, I do end up sneaking water."

Tayuya sighed. "We have to get you out of this. Hey, your hands-are those rope burns?"

Orochimaru flushed again and lowered his hands to his lap, biting his lower lip. He didn't answer other than to toss the apple core into the garbage can.

"Speak, Orochimaru-sama!" Tayuya said firmly. "Are those-?"

"Yes!"

Orochimaru's body was tightly coiled, as if expecting a blow. Tayuya felt her heart clench at the sight and reached out, running her hands through Orochimaru's hair, cursing herself when Orochimaru flinched away from her touch.

"Come here, I won't hurt you…" she promised. As much as Orochimaru hated to admit it, Tayuya could actually be a very nice girl when she wanted to be…

"Tayuya, you were supposed to be back in my room three minutes ago!!"

Tayuya sighed as Sasuke stomped out of his room. "Three…two…one."

"So this is what you were doing? Fraternizing with a slave? Don't tell me _he's _what's keeping you from seeing me-!"

"No, Sasuke-sama!" Tayuya cried, standing up protectively in front of Orochimaru. "That's not it at all! I was just-!"

"I don't care," Sasuke snarled, shoving her aside. "Move. And you-!" he growled, advancing on Orochimaru. He dealt the sannin a hard blow to the face, producing a pained yelp, then kicked him away. "Go someplace else. You've caused enough trouble."

Orochimaru skittered away, darting out the door and fleeing down the hallway. Sasuke sighed and turned back to Tayuya.

"My apologies, he's sometimes a bit defiant…"

"It's not his fault!" Tayuya protested. "Can't you see that? Why did you hit him? He didn't do anything-I told you, it was _my _fault. _I_ went up to _him_-get it? Why did you hit him like that?!"

"Tayuya, you know your place!" Sasuke roared. Tayuya shrank back a bit; she was, by no standards, a helpless little girl, but even so, when Sasuke was like this, it scared her. "It's time he learned his! You are to treat him as if he wasn't there at all; he's a slave, Tayuya-he's nothing but garbage. Now, come-I have business to attend to."

Tayuya sighed, but followed Sasuke back to his room anyway.

The entire way, she could see nothing except Orochimaru's terrified face as he fled from Sasuke's wrath.

OOOOOOOOO

Sakon collapsed on his bed in the room he shared with Jiroubou, exhausted. The day's most boring mission had stretched on for hours, and it had been exhausting standing around doing nothing…in the other room, Kimimaro and Tayuya were settling in, and Kidomaru was finding a comfortable spot in his own bed: the couch.

"Okay, bad day," Tayuya was saying. "While I was playing goody-two-shoes for Sasuke, I got to sit back and watch as Orochimaru got a nice smack for no reason at all. Sasuke yelled at him and told him to go someplace else, and the poor thing looked scared shitless…"

Sakon shook his head. "It just isn't right. I mean, what did Orochimaru-sama ever do?"

Kimimaro and Tayuya were whispering for a minute; finally, Kimimaro said, "I think there's a way we can keep Orochimaru-sama safe. But it's risky, and we need to talk to him about it first."

Kidomaru propped himself up on his elbows. "Oh, really? How so?"

Kimimaro handed Tayuya a piece of paper with a murmured instruction of, "Pass that around," and continued, "There's a series of vent systems around the lair, all marked with snakes of a different color. Kabuto put it in as a safety measure, in case they ever needed to evacuate the lair in a hurry, like an attack from Konoha. The passages marked with black snakes lead to the surface, since most of the complex is underground. The red ones lead to Kabuto's room, and the blue ones lead to the infirmary. Rumors are heard about a green passageway that leads to Kabuto's secret lab, but he swears he has no such place. Anyway, we just need to get into these vents and meet at the gates. We get out and make a run for it. It's a lot more subtle, and we could probably make it out this time, instead of running for the nearest escape route."

"Hm…"

The Sounds passed around the paper, each contemplating the plan. "You know, if we have a set amount of time that we know we can keep Sasuke away, we might actually be able to pull this off," Sakon mused. "Ukon?…Aniki…"

"Nani?" Ukon grouched. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think it's possible, but again, we need a diversion of sorts."

Kidomaru nodded from the next room. "I say go for it."

Jiroubou glanced around. "Fine, fine, I'll do it…"

Kimimaro nodded and took the paper back from Sakon. "Well, then, we need to work out the details…we should start soon, though, because Sasuke is getting more and more aggressive every day. He's not happy without his little fuck toy, and we all know Orochimaru-sama isn't happy at all. Neither are we, for that matter, but we need to think of Orochimaru-sama first. He's the one that has it worst, and he's the one who gave all of us a purpose in life. We need to return the favor, and give him a reason to live, as well. So, we start planning tomorrow. For now, get some-"

"Bad news!" Kabuto had just burst through the door, clutching a scroll. "Sasuke is really going for it-this is the scroll he told me to go over and see if there were any mistakes on-it's a binding jutsu. I put a small flaw in it, just to make sufre, but it won't hold for long, and Sasuke will probably find out quickly enough. We need to get Orochimaru-sama out of here, or Sasuke out of the way-by a week!"

Kimimaro glanced at Kabuto. "Come here for a second."

OOOOOOOOO

Sasuke lay next to the sobbing Orochimaru, stroking his hair and stroking him, giving him false affection and murmuring bitter-sweet words.

"My beautiful love slave," he whispered, stroking Orochimaru's hair. The sannin's face was soaked with sweat, and there was a lot in his hairline. Blood dripped down his thighs and back, and semen splattered his face, chest, stomach, and legs, evidence of Sasuke's many rounds of mindless fucking. Now, he felt like he was going to pass out, and the collar around his neck had been used for discipline more than once.

"I love you…"

Orochimaru shuddered. He could finally feel his body giving way to sleep, even with Sasuke next to him. He felt himself being turned onto his stomach, and a hand caressed his rump, running over smooth muscle and pale skin. Orochimaru shivered and fought to accept the touches; he knew Sasuke would punish him if he showed any sign of discontent.

"You're my dark prince," Sasuke whispered, nibbling on the shell of Orochimaru's ear. "I could never love another."

As Orochimaru drifted off into a deep, fitful sleep, he couldn't help but ask,

Can't you grant me the only thing I wish?

A/N: Angsty…review, please!!


	12. Chapter 12: Slave to Fear

Orochimaru got up before Sasuke, as always. The Uchiha would be angry if he woke up and Orochimaru hadn't drawn his bath, made breakfast, and woken up everyone else. He slipped into the bathroom, washed himself off, and dressed, tying up his hair and heading back to the kitchen. Since he was never sure what Sasuke would want to eat, he usually set out a box of cereal for the Uchiha and left it at that. Sasuke was eating it and he wasn't complaining or kicking Orochimaru, so life went on.

Orochimaru went around to each room in the immediate complex: the rooms of several high-ranking shinobi and officials and the Sound Five. "Kidomaru…get up." Kidomaru was always easy to wake; he would get up and make coffee, then distribute it to everyone alive at that hour; usually five a.m. Sakon and Ukon usually required a slap across the face, but they rarely knew what was going on at that hour, so whoever woke them up was usually safe from harm. Jiroubou had a tendency to sleepwalk, so someone had to find him before he fell down the stairs or woke himself up somehow. Kimimaro would take a few minutes to wake up, but he would get up once he was awake. Tayuya was the hardest to wake up; she would kick and whine and fight, and Orochimaru always had to be ready to dodge her-or her Doki. Finally, when Tayuya was up, Orochimaru would go back to Sasuke's room, eat something if he had time, and draw Sasuke's bath when he saw the Uchiha getting out of bed. Today, he looked early, so he grabbed an apple and ate quickly. Sasuke hated it when Orochimaru as late; especially if he caught him eating.

Orochimaru finished the apple just in time; Sasuke's door opened just as he was going into the bathroom. It took a minute to get hot water up to Sasuke's room, but eventually Sasuke had a hot bath waiting for him, and Orochimaru left the room, leaving clean towels and soap.

While Sasuke took his bath, Orochimaru usually checked on the Sounds. Kidomaru, Sakon and Ukon, and Kimimaro would usually be up, dressed and having breakfast. Jiroubou would be in one bathroom, and Tayuya would be in the other. This time, however, Jiroubou was out early, and Tayuya was just going in. "Hurry," Orochimaru advised her. "Sasuke-sama hates it when you're late."

Tayuya snorted. "He can hate me all he wants," she said caustically. "I don't care."

Orochimaru sighed. "But I do-he's going to think I didn't get you up on time and then he'll beat me."

Tayuya sighed. "Right, sorry, I forgot. Alright, I promise I'll be on time."

"Thank you," Orochimaru whispered.

_"Orochimaru!!"_

Orochimaru gasped at Sasuke's yell. "Oh, no…" 

"Go," Kimimaro said. "I'll come with you."

Orochimaru nodded. "Thank you."

Kimimaro and Orochimaru left, Kimimaro slipping a slice of bread into Orochimaru's hands.

"Even if you've eaten already, you never get enough," he said. "You need your energy."

"I'll probably throw it up again at some point," Orochimaru said. "But thank you."

"Eat quickly," Kimimaro advised. "We'll be there soon."

Orochimaru said nothing in reply, and Kimimaro smiled when he saw Orochimaru eating. He finished just as they approached Sasuke's door; Orochimaru swallowed, took a deep breath, and knocked twice on the door to let Sasuke know he was entering. He slowly opened the door and, hearing no objections, slid inside the room, quiet as a mouse. Kimimaro followed, staying next to Orochimaru the whole time.

"Where were you?" Sasuke snapped. He stood in front of Orochimaru, fully dressed and glaring. "You were supposed to be back here seven minutes ago!"

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-sama," Orochimaru stammered, dropping into a deep bow at Sasuke's feet. "I was making sure the rest of your servants were up-"

"I don't care," Sasuke continued, kicking Orochimaru in the ribs. The sannin yelped, but took the blow. "You are with me at all times, except when I tell you not to be, and you when else. Stupid little animal-"

"Sasuke-sama, please don't kick him again."

Sasuke glared at Kimimaro. "It is not your place to tell me how I can and cannot discipline my slaves," Sasuke snarled, kicking Orochimaru again. "You're lucky I don't kick _you _for your insolence!"

Kimimaro fell silent, instead reaching out to Orochimaru. Hope flashed across the sannin's eyes for a moment, but was dashed when Sasuke kicked Kimimaro back. "Get out," he hissed to Kimimaro. "As for you-!" Orochimaru flinched when Sasuke turned his gaze upon him-"Get up, clear the table, and when you're done you can clean the floors."

"Hai…"

Orochimaru stood up and skittered around Sasuke, scrambling to do as he was told. Sasuke sighed and slammed the door after himself, heading down to the Sounds' room. Orochimaru put the dishes in the sink, put away the remains of Sasuke's breakfast, and sighed. True enough, the floors were disgusting, and Orochimaru was not looking forward to cleaning them. The only way to get the stains out was to scrub them by hand…Orochimaru sighed again and headed for the closet.

OOOOOOOOO

"I feel really bad for you."

Orochimaru glanced up from the bloodstains he was currently attacking with a sponge, a bucket of water, and some soap, but said nothing. Tayuya sighed and knelt down next to Orochimaru, pulling several strands of hair out of his face and wiping his forehead with a clean cloth.

"Thank you," Orochimaru whispered. Tayuya nodded and gave him a drink of water from a small water bottle she had hidden in her kunai pouch.

"I used a genjutsu to get away," she said. "But it won't last long. Drink, and do it quickly."

"My savior," Orochimaru said quietly, "Comes in the form of a potty-mouthed slut of a teenager. The irony is so think you could cut with a knife."

Tayuya smiled. "Well, in the world of dirty play, sometimes you need to play dirty right back." She stood up and refilled her water bottle, letting Orochimaru take another drink. "Alright, I'll see when I can come back-hey, the water's red."

Orochimaru glanced down. Sure enough, the water he had been using to clean the floor was now tainted red with blood-but from what? Tayuya gently took his hand and turned it over; it was criss-crossed with cuts and scrapes, all of which were oozing blood. Tayuya pulled a roll of bandages out of her kunai pouch and wrapped them quickly around each hand, tying a knot around Orochimaru's wrist. "Just be careful, okay? I'll get you some ointment later so those don't get infected."

Orochimaru nodded. "Thank you," he murmured. "But…Sasuke will ask where these came from-"

"I'll come back with him," Tayuya said, "And explain. All you have to say is that it kept getting blood on the floors and you don't want to get more all over."

Orochimaru shrugged. "Alright. Thank you again, and please, go back. Sasuke will be angry-"

"I know, I know," Tayuya said. She placed a gentle kiss on Orochimaru's forehead, straightened, and made her way to the door. "I'll be back; I promise."

Orochimaru actually believed her.

OOOOOOOOO

That night, Sasuke didn't seem very interested in Orochimaru; he chained the sannin down, as usual, and went to bed. Orochimaru knew where the key was, but it took him a while to figure out how to get it. Sasuke set the combination on the lock differently every night he chained Orochimaru; a lock on a key for a lock. Orochimaru would have to get up early when Sasuke chained him like this; he needed to figure out how to get out of the bonds, and then he still had to do everything he normally would.

The key came out easily this morning. Orochimaru sighed, unlocked the second collar around his neck, and got up. He went about the morning as usual, only stopping when someone knocked lightly on the door. He opened it silently, not wanting to disturb Sasuke.

Kabuto stood in the doorway.

Orochimaru started; what was Kabuto doing here?

"Shhhhhh, it's okay; I'm here to help you," Kabuto whispered, seeing Orochimaru's shocked expression. Orochimaru shook his head.

"It's not that," he said quietly. "I just didn't expect you here…"

Kabuto smiled and pulled a clean cloth out of his kunai pouch. "You already look terrible…" he said quietly, wiping Orochimaru's face off. There was probably still crap all over him from yesterday…although Tayuya had come back, as she promised, she couldn't do much for Orochimaru other than calm him down, give him something small to eat, and wipe away the worst of the grime. Orochimaru's face flushed and he looked away in shame.

Kabuto continued cleaning him up for a moment before handing him a peach. "Don't even ask," he said, holding up his hands. "Just eat it. I'll wake up the Sounds, just eat and take care of everything you need to here. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you so much!" Orochimaru cried. "I can't repay you-"

"Just keep out of trouble," Kabuto said, placing a small kiss on Orochimaru's trembling lips. "That's how you can repay me. Wait for me and the Sounds to get back to you on what we're going to do." He kissed Orochimaru again and took a step back. "Wait for me, and always remember: I love you."

Orochimaru nodded, and Kabuto took off down the hall. Orochimaru sighed wistfully and closed the door. He had probably start breakfast…

Sasuke was getting eggs this morning. He had nothing better to do.

OOOOOOOOO

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Wow, hot breakfast this morning. What _didn't _you do?"

"I did everything, Sasuke-sama," Orochimaru replied quietly. "I just had a bit of extra time this morning, and it didn't take long-"

"Whatever. Dismissed."

Orochimaru went downstairs to the Sounds' room; he wanted to make sure everyone was up and everything was in order.

Kabuto met him halfway.

He picked up Orochimaru and kissed him, holding him as close as possible. Orochimaru held onto Kabuto; his lover was back, and he never wanted to leave his loving embrace. Two tears fell from his eyes and streamed down his face; Kabuto held him and never let him go, and that was all Orochimaru wanted at this point.

"What are you doing here?" he gasped when they finally parted to breathe. Orochimaru shook his hair out of his face.

"What are you?" he asked quietly. "You're supposed to be in the other wing…away from everyone else-"

Kabuto shrugged. "I told you I would wake the Sounds for you. I did; I'm still here. Sasuke dismissed you?"

Orochimaru nodded. Kabuto sighed with relief and kissed Orochimaru again; Orochimaru leaned into his embrace, and Kabuto healed the bruises, cuts, and other injuries Orochimaru had acquired. The silver-haired ninja took his time, though; he wanted to be with Orochimaru as long as he could, and as long as he had an excuse to be touching him-

"Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru gasped. "Kabuto-"

"I know," Kabuto said quickly. He healed the rest of the injuries in less than a second and released Orochimaru, giving him another swift kiss and he gave him a gentle push. "Go; I don't want you to get hurt!" Orochimaru nodded his thanks and ran up to Sasuke's room, praying that the Uchiha wasn't too angry with him.

A/N: A little short, I know, but it seemed like a good place to end it…


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected Kindness

"Sasuke-sama?"

Orochimaru sounded so timid Sasuke wanted to laugh. Instead, he sent the former Otokage a hard glare. It had the desired effect; Orochimaru fell to his knees in a deep bow before Sasuke, trying to regain favor.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-sama, please forgive me-!"

"Shut up."

Orochimaru's mouth snapped shut, and Sasuke smirked. His little fuck was behaving perfectly…"Now, Akatsuki is coming tomorrow to sign a treaty and possibly make arrangements for an alliance. I want you on your best behavior; no crap like you pull sometimes. You probably won't be doing any dirty work tomorrow, so consider this my little present to you. And this."

Sasuke tossed Orochimaru a silken kimono, which the sannin caught from his knees. He glanced at Sasuke, searching for an explanation.

Sasuke glared in response, but gave Orochimaru a short explanation. "Wear it tomorrow."

Orochimaru glanced at the kimono, suddenly realizing how long it was. _Probably to hide the bruises on my legs...but why couldn't I wear the pants then? Oh, right; then I would have to wear the fishnet shirt, and that's very revealing. In any other case, Sasuke would love it, but in this case, it's the opposite of what he wants..._

Orochimaru nodded mutely, and Sasuke continued.

"I want you up early. Make sure everything is clean, the Sounds are up and dressed, and that Suigetsu will make himself scarce, except of course when I call him. He and Sasori have some bad blood, so if Sasori comes, I do _not _want Suigetsu anywhere near him. Got that?"

Orochimaru nodded again. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't tolerate his silence, but for some reason, he seemed to be in an insanely good mood today…

"And when everyone is up and dressed, come back here and wait for further instruction. The Sounds are all expected in my room, Kabuto included. By then, the Akatsuki should be arriving; you will let them in. Are we clear?"

Orochimaru nodded, and Sasuke sighed.

"When are you going to learn how to speak?"

Orochimaru blushed and ducked his head. This was when he simply _couldn't _speak. He was afraid to say the wrong thing, so he didn't say anything at all, for which he was further punished. He figured either way he was kicked, so it really didn't matter. Tayuya said to try, and at least he had a chance, no matter how small it was better than nothing.

"Apparently never," Sasuke grumbled. "Whatever. At least give me some indication that you're not a stupid beast?"

Orochimaru gave Sasuke a death-glare. He sure felt like a dumb beast-collared, leashed, and kicked…hm, fit every description of a dumb beast Orochimaru ever read.

Sasuke gave Orochimaru a firm kick to the jaw, relishing the cry of pain that tore from Orochimaru's throat. "I told you to behave," Sasuke snarled, "And this is exactly what I mean. No crap from you tomorrow, or you'll pay dearly for it!"

Orochimaru never believed it more.

OOOOOOOOO

The next morning, Orochimaru awoke a half an hour early, as Sasuke dictated. He made Sasuke breakfast and left it on the table: to sweeten his mood, hot breakfast for once. Fleeing the scene after drawing Sasuke's bath, he scurried down to the Suigetsu's room, warned him to stay away from Sasuke's room for the day, and then ran ove to the Sounds' room and hurriedly woke each.

"Oh, right…" Tayuya muttered as she wiped the spit off her chin. "Today's Akatsuki day…" she continued, words slightly slurred with sleep. "Anythin' in particular Sasuke wants…?"

Orochimaru sighed. "Well, I'd wear something nice, because that's what he told me to do…"

Tayuya nodded. "In which case, I better find something in my closet…" The kunoichi gave a long, drawn out yawn and stretched, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so. When she finished, she shook herself and stood up. "Alright, I'm up, go wake up everybody else…"

A firm slap was heard as Orochimaru brutally woke Sakon and Ukon, then cursing as Kidomaru reluctantly climbed out of bed. Jiroubou fell out of his bed just as Orochimaru went to wake him, waking himself up-and Kimimaro. The bone bender panicked as he woke up, then sighed and fell back against the pillows as he realized it was only Jiroubou. Several seconds later, he re-emerged from his bed, yawning and tired but up. Tayuya made it into the bathroom first, then Kimimaro took the other. Orochimaru sighed more cursing ensued, but went back upstairs to get dressed.

A white sash lay on top of the red kimono, folded neatly and laying on Sasuke's bed.

Orochimaru almost smiled and picked up the red satin, thin material swishing as he unfolded it and pulled it on, shrugging off the loose sweatpants he slept in. He tied the sash around his waist, noticing as he did so that the long sleeves were edged in white, almost flowering patterns. Orochimaru found a pair of decorative chopsticks underneath the kimono and sighed. He would have to put his hair up, then…

A hand on his shoulder startled Orochimaru.

Whipping around, he suddenly realized it was Sasuke and flushed bright red. Sasuke turned him around and immediately, Orochimaru began to tremble, fearing a blow. Sasuke had spanked him before; he would ouldn't put it past him to do so again now...

Instead, he felt a brush begin running through his hair.

Sasuke was brushing his hair, almost tenderly working out the knots and tangles. Orochimaru could feel Sasuke's touch growing gentler with every passing moment; he was falling into a rhythm with his strokes. When Sasuke finished brushing out Orochimaru's hair, he carefully pulled it back and began twisting it until the hair began to curl up on itself. Then, he twisted it up so it lay flat against Orochimaru's head and pinned it in place with the chopsticks. Finally, he turned Orochimaru around and pulled several strands of hair forward towards his face, letting the ponytail grow slightly loose.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Simply beautiful…"

Orochimaru's eyes widened; after Sasuke being so nice, he fully expected a blow to fall, or for Sasuke to spit in his face, or kick him or-

Kiss him?!

Sasuke's lips barely brushed Orochimaru's, but they did, and Orochimaru was shocked. He had never imagined Sasuke could have such a gentle touch, especially for him…

Sasuke pulled away, smiling.

"And you're all mine."

When he left the room was really when Orochimaru was able to breathe, to regain his composure. He lifted one hand to brush away a strand of hair brushing at his neck, only to find that it wasn't a hair at all.

It was a necklace: a red ruby set in white gold.

Orochimaru sighed. What was Sasuke thinking? What was he playing at?

OOOOOOOOO

"No…no…no…"

Kimimaro sighed. "Tayuya, I'm known for being a bit more refined, even for a ninja, but this is ridiculous! Pick something to wear already!"

Tayuya sighed as she picked through her clothes. "No…no…no…no…"

Kimimaro groaned. "Why do I get the sinking feeling she wasn't even listening to me?"

"Because she wasn't," Jiroubou muttered.

"Shut up, fatass. Either that or help me pick something!"

"If it gets you out of here!" Sakon bellowed. "I'd pay an arm and a leg for you to get the hell out of here, because if I don't give it to you, Sasuke will take it by force if we're late, so _let's go!"_

"Found it!"

Tayuya had finally settled on a long, long blue kimono, patterned with light blue flowers and bordered with lavender. A light purple sash was pulled from the closet as well, and Tayuya pulled both on as quickly as she could. She carefully pushed a set of sapphire earrings into her ears and fastened a small gold bracelet around her wrist.

"Girls," Kidomaru muttered as Tayuya began pulling her hair back. She tied it with a lavender ribbon in a high ponytail and gently fluffed it out. He had chosen something like the Sound uniform; a tan robe not unlike Kimimaro's and black pants. The robe was tied with a thin red sash, and Kidomaru was still wearing his Sound headband. Kimimaro had put a cream-colored kimono on over a black shirt and pants and had on a red sash as well. Jiroubou had on just about the same thing as Kidomaru; the only difference was the color, and his was green. Finally, Sakon was wearing a gray-blue robe with a black sash; Ukon was wearing the same, although he had barely gotten out of Sakon's body to change…something for which Sakon and others repeatedly berated him for, but Ukon ignored.

"Okay, let's get going already!" Kimimaro exclaimed.

"Alright, alright," Tayuya grumbled as she ran after the rest of the Sounds. "I can only run so fast in a skirt!"

OOOOOOOOO

The Sounds got to Sasuke's room just in time. It was only a minute until they were officially "late" in Sasuke's book. As he opened the door to let them in, he scowled, but said nothing in regards to their near miss.

"Hey, where's Orochimaru?"

Tayuya had to fight to keep from adding the honorary suffix to Orochimaru's name, but she managed.

"I think he's in the bedroom," Sasuke said. "Last I saw, he was putting in earrings…by the way, Tayuya, you clean up very nicely."

Tayuya hoped her face would flush at the compliment; fortunately, it did. "Thanks," she said shyly, fluttering her eyelashes at Sasuke. The Uchiha smiled and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, extracting a giggle from the kunoichi. Tayuya was sucking up, of course; she wanted to look cute for Sasuke so he would be nice to her.

"Girls," Sakon muttered.

"So hopeless," Jiroubou added.

"Ick; no comment," Kidomaru said. Kimimaro just shook his head.

"Alright, I'm going to find Orochimaru. He should have been done by now-"

Just as Sasuke said this, the door to Sasuke's bedroom opened, and out stepped Orochimaru.

Tayuya gaped. Her former master was simply stunning; the long kimono he was wearing almost reached the thin flip-flops he wore, swishing elegantly around his ankles, which were adorned with tiny chains and beads. The white-edged sleeves almost completely covered his small, slender hands, but the same white-edged color accenting the neck of the kimono did nothing to hide the pale column of Orochimaru's throat and the tiny necklace that clung to it. His hair was pulled back and secured with a pair of red chopsticks, red beads dangling off the ends, with several strands of hair hanging in his face. Golden layered earrings hung almost to his shoulders and were half-hidden by his hair.

Sakon let out an appreciative whistle.

"Nice…"

Sasuke smiled and brushed a stray piece of hair out of Orochimaru's face. "You look beautiful, love," he whispered, tipping Orochimaru's face up to his. "No, go," he said softly. "Find Kabuto, and tell him to get in here."

Orochimaru nodded and slipped away, a small pink on his cheeks. Sasuke turned back to the Sounds and said,

"Good; you all cleaned up for once. Actually, I'm impressed: I didn't know you had it in you. Anyway, Akatsuki will be here soon, and they said they would send four representatives to me to sign the contract. So, one of you to each Akatsuki, and Orochimaru will stay with me. The one person left will come with me as well, since I would like two people with me at all times. You will all be present for the signing of the contract, and you will sign as witnesses."

The Sounds all nodded their assent, and Sasuke turned back to the door. "Any second now…"

Kabuto and Orochimaru each bolted through the door at once. Kabuto was dressed like Orochimaru; a long kimono, black in color, and tied with a blue sash. The accents were blue, and Kabuto's hair was pulled back with a blue hair-tie. Sasuke thought he looked remarkable simple compared to everyone else in the room, but he had his own way of adding extravagance to what he was wearing.

"They're coming!"

A/N: Anybody who draws any one of these (especially Orochimaru) will get a free one-shot and make me a very happy fangirl!! Review please!


	14. Chapter 14: Eyes

Sasori had walked into Otokagure without expecting much.

He imagined Orochimaru's place as a dingy, run-down old place, ridden with bugs, rodents, and other pests. He, Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuza were all walking towards the entrance to Otoga, and he wasn't happy about it. He wasn't looking forward to seeing his former partner-Orochimaru would probably be an arrogant jerk about how he had his own village, he had thousands of ninja and just people in general loyal to him, at his disposal, blah, blah, blah…

A girl in her teen years met him at the gate, two males at her side.

"Well, well, what have we here?" he purred. He wasn't in Hiruko, as he wanted to show off as much as possible, and his voice was slightly higher and smoother. The girl grinned.

"Taken."

"Damn…"

The girl smiled. "This way, please."

"So, I heard I'll be signing this with Sasuke instead of Orochimaru…" Sasori began. "Why?"

Tayuya swallowed; oh, how could she say this…? "Well…some…um, recent events…have forced Orochimaru to relinquish his power…it was an attack on him by Sasuke under unfair circumstances, and Sasuke really only got lucky."

One of Sasori's eyebrows came up. "What exactly happened?"

Kidomaru sighed. "Sasuke attacked Orochimaru, Orochimaru's current body was failing him for some reason, Sasuke killed Orochimaru, then brought him back but only as his personal slave."

Sasori's eyes widened. How…?

Tayuya opened the door to Sasuke's room and motioned the Akatsuki in. Kakuza took in the room appreciatively. "Nice place you got here-"

"Don't even think about it."

Sasuke was seen approaching the Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Kimimaro trailing behind him. Sasori could only stare.

_"Orochimaru?" _he gasped. The sannin lowered his head in shame, hair dipping forward towards his face. 

"My God…what has he done to you?" the puppet master continued, stepping towards Orochimaru. The snake master only stepped back, a soft whisper slipping forth from his lips.

"I-I'm so sorry…"

Sasori carefully lifted Orochimaru's face, staring into his golden eyes. The ambition, the malice, the distrust, even hatred, that had shown before, were no longer there; now, only fear was expressed in the molten lava of Orochimaru's soul.

"What happened?" Sasori murmured, brushing aside Orochimaru's hair.

"Please…do not concern yourself with me," Orochimaru whispered. His voice was so quiet, so subdued…Sasori wondered if this was Orochimaru at all. "I have fought the battle, however unjust, and lost repeatedly. I may deserve it; I may not. Either way, I cannot change the past, nor the present, and not even the future. So, please…just get this over with, and do not treat me as you normally would. Instead, ignore me, and treat me as you would treat any other slave…like you treated Kabuto."

Sasori glared. "You're still hard about that, aren't you?"

Orochimaru shook his head and stepped back, ducking his head again. "Forgive me," he said quickly, but still in the quiet, submissive voice it seemed Sasuke had beaten into him. "I did not mean it like that…I simply meant that you used him and cast him aside, and that he never meant as much to you as he did to me."

Sasori sighed. "Well, if it's any consolation, I feel for you, I really do."

Orochimaru turned at Sasuke's call and gave Sasori an apologetic look as he walked back to the Uchiha's side. Sasuke gave him a hard glare, but said nothing and motioned Orochimaru to follow him. He led Orochimaru and the Akatsuki to a long table, laid out with a long scroll, and gestured to the Akatsuki to sit. Orochimaru stood behind Sasuke's chair a bit to the right, and the rest of the Sounds lined up against the wall. They began whispering, arranging who would be responsible for each Akatsuki member.

"Orochimaru…" Kakuza said slowly. "You once were in Akatsuki, weren't you? Ah, yes, I remember you…so proud, so arrogant, so full of life…and look at you now. Geez, what changed?"

Orochimaru lowered his head, biting his lip until it bled and a trickle of blood ran down his chin. Sasuke completely ignored him and picked up the scroll.

"Well, then, shall we begin?"

"Is he not talking for a reason?"

Sasuke sighed. "He doesn't matter. Focus, people!"

Hidan sighed. If Orochimaru wasn't talking, it had to be bad.

"Uh, I gotta go to the bathroom," he said lamely, standing up. "Could Orochimaru show me where it is?"

One of Sasuke's dark eyebrows rose, but he said nothing, simply nodding for Orochimaru to go. The sannin turned at once, red kimono swishing across the floor as he walked silently out of the room, Hidan trailing him.

The second they were out of the room and the door had closed, Hidan took Orochimaru's upper arms in a firm grip and pushed his back into the wall.

"Talk," he snarled, bending over so he was only an inch or so from Orochimaru's panicked face. "What has been going on here? This hasn't been of your free will, I know, so talk! Explain to me what it is that has been happening between you and Sasuke. Don't tell me…don't tell me he raped you?"

"Every night."

Orochimaru gasped at the new voice. Kabuto stood in the opposite doorway, staring at Orochimaru and Hidan.

"Hidan-dono, please, release him. He's been severely traumatized and mistreated; he doesn't need this."

Hidan sighed, but released Orochimaru. The sannin fell directly to his knees, bowing until he forehead touched the floor. The ends of his gorgeous black hair were almost flat against the ground, and he shook with fear; fear of punishment for something he never did.

Kabuto walked over to him and gently slid his arms around Orochimaru's shoulders, pulling his former master up and into his lap. "Shhhhhh…calm down, it's okay. You didn't do anything, it's not your fault-"

Kabuto carefully pulled up the sleeves of Orochimaru's kimono and scowled when he saw bruises on Orochimaru's pale arms. He glared at Hidan, who simply smirked and walked back into the other room. Kabuto picked Orochimaru up off the ground and healed the bruises on his arms, taking care to avoid touching them too much.

"Alright, go on," he said softly, giving Orochimaru a gentle push. "And Orochimaru-sama-!"

Orochimaru stopped, his hand on the doorknob, and turned to face Kabuto. Kabuto's heart nearly tore in two; Orochimaru's eyes were hollow…empty.

"I was never here."

Orochimaru nodded and slid the door back. When he turned to close it again, Kabuto was gone.

OOOOOOOOO

"Where have you been?!"

Orochimaru gasped when he heard Sasuke's harsh voice directly behind him. "You were supposed to come back with Hidan, you worthless beast!" he continued, smacking Orochimaru so hard the sannin fell to the ground, spitting blood from a split lip.

"You're cleaning that up later," Sasuke snarled when he saw the blood hit the floor, and gave Orochimaru a stern kick to the ribs. Orochimaru recoiled with a mewl of pain, struggling to stay on his knees. If he fell over, it would only allow Sasuke more access to his already-too-vulnerable body. At least now, with his arms wrapped around his aching middle, it provided him a small measure of protection…

"Get over here," Sasuke continued, sitting back down at the table. Orochimaru slowly stood up and limped back to his position at Sasuke's side, falling to his knees out of fatigue once he was there. Sasori looked at him sympathetically, but he couldn't do anything at that point.

Sasuke sighed. "Troublesome little beast," he muttered. "Intelligence of a dumb rock. Get up, you can't even stand?"

Sasori glanced at Orochimaru, then back at Sasuke. "When was the last time he had water? Or food, for that matter? He's skinny…"

Sasuke shrugged. "I offered him water earlier, but he didn't take it."

"No, you didn't-"

"Shut up!"

Sasuke gave Orochimaru another firm and well-placed kick, sending him crashing to the ground again. Orochimaru clutched at his side, gasping for breath, tears streaking down his face. He still tried to remain silent, though: he knew what Sasuke would do to him if he thought he was being annoying, and it wasn't pretty.

Sasori couldn't take it anymore; he stood up and marched directly to Orochimaru's side, picking him up and helping him stand until he could half-walk to the kitchen. There, he set Orochimaru down on the floor, poured him a glass of water, and helped him drink. Orochimaru drank greedily; Sasori wondered if he had had anything for days. Sasori gave him bit more and waited while Orochimaru finished it.

"I don't want to give you too much," he said. "If you vomit, it won't do you any good."

Orochimaru nodded. He was feeling a little better now, but still not great. He hadn't eaten in a while…almost a day. Sasori dug around for a while before handing him an apple.

"Sorry it's not much," he said. "But you need something quick and easy right now."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, just eat."

Orochimaru ate quickly; it was habit now. Sasori stayed with him the whole time, making sure Orochimaru got a bit more water afterwards.

"Okay, ready to face Sasuke again?"

Orochimaru nodded and stood up, Sasori standing with him. The puppet master handed the snake master one last glass of water, and Orochimaru downed it without a problem. Sasori and Orochimaru finally walked out, Orochimaru shadowing Sasori.

Sasuke grabbed Orochimaru's delicate wrist the second he came out of the kitchen.

Orochimaru immediately pulled back in fear, thus tightening Sasuke's grip. Sasuke glared hard at Orochimaru, Sharingan blossoming on his eyes. Sasori watched warily, unsure if he should step in or not.

"Little _bitch!"_

Orochimaru yelped as a strong fist came smashing down across his face, then again as Sasuke's foot connected with his side. A choked sob escaped his throat as Sasuke dropped him to the floor and kicked him again, sending him slamming into-

Kabuto.

The silver-haired genin had jumped in at the last second and stopped the effects of Sasuke's attack, catching Orochimaru and holding the sannin against his chest.

"Sasuke, I hate to say it, but Kimimaro, Jiroubou, Kidomaru, Sakon, Ukon, and Tayuya and I have been plotting this for a while. We're taking you down, and hopefully we can get enough sympathy from Akatsuki to fight you and win. We were planning to just take off, but then we realized Akatsuki was coming and figured they still loved you."

Sasori gave Kabuto a _you're joking, right? _look. Kabuto sighed.

"Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But still…Orochimaru-sama, up for trying for Sasuke's body?"

Orochimaru shrugged.

"Oh, but first-"

Kabuto reached around to the back of Orochimaru's head and pulled the chopsticks out of his hair, letting it fall forward into his face.

"It's better down."

Orochimaru smiled. _Kabuto…thank you so much. You don't realize it but…you do something to me. Whenever I'm around you, I feel…whole again, like I've suddenly regained something I've been missing. I never realized how much I missed you until you came back…I knew there was something missing and it was you, but I didn't realize that my entire heart was missing. It just goes to show…how cold-hearted I've really become. You ca tell, just by looking into my eyes…exactly how I feel. It is my greatest asset, but my greatest flaw. Kabuto, please, forgive me for what I am about to do. I'm foolish._

Orochimaru reached around behind Kabuto, grabbed a kunai, and rushed Sasuke head-on.

A/N: Cliffy!! Review please; I've been generous about the updates since tx-girl was so great about the rest of them, but your reviews in the bank are gone. So either review, or lose the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15: Fire

Sasuke sighed Orochimaru hurtled towards him, kunai in hand, aiming to rip out his throat. He easily caught Orochimaru's wrist and forced his attack away, holding his wrist next to his body. He gave an exaggerated sigh and tightened his grip as he felt Orochimaru pulling away.

"I don't have time for you," he said, and firmly broke Orochimaru's wrist.

The sannin collapsed on the ground with a scream of pain; Kabuto gasped and ran in. He gathered Orochimaru into his arms, healing the painful break and holding him.

"D-Don't…"

Kabuto looked down at Orochimaru. The fire was returning to his eyes; now, he had the look of Sasuke himself, charging at Itachi, swearing he would kill him but failing again-

"Don't…interfere…I…I want my vengeance," Orochimaru whispered. "And I'm going to take it!"

He shakily stood up, wavering a bit but still standing, and took a deep breath. "Here's a little something you taught me, Sasuke," he grunted, hands moving in three different signs. Wild, untamed chakra balled up in his hand and immediately began burning with a wild fire that was almost as fierce as Orochimaru himself. "I kind of stole it from you, but that's okay, because it'll be mine once you die!"

Kabuto stared at Orochimaru, wondering how in the world the sannin had taken the jutsu from Sasuke. He didn't come across any evidence of Orochimaru using the jutsu, nor had he ever seen it used…but then again, Orochimaru could have done this anywhere, at any time, or even not at all. Watching was almost always enough for Orochimaru.

Orochimaru ran at Sasuke again, Chidori blazing around his body, distorting shadows and throwing them into dancing flames. Sasuke didn't have his katana on him; he couldn't use Chidori Nagashi, so unless he dodged or redirected the attack, that was it.

Sasuke grinned. "Stupid."

The next thing Orochimaru knew, he was flat on his back.

Sasuke's foot was planted firmly on his wrist, grinding down on the tender flesh. Orochimaru bit back a small noise of pain; he wouldn't give Sasuke that pleasure, he wouldn't let him know that he had won-! But despite Orochimaru's best efforts, the Chidori was dying down around his hand, and finally, it faded to nothing with the last chirps of a thousand birds. Orochimaru looked up into Sasuke's eyes; they burned Sharingan red.

"H-How…?"

Sasuke smirked and merely crushed Orochimaru's wrist again, relishing the cry of pain Orochimaru was forced to release. Sasuke easily swatted away the ninja that came to Orochimaru's aid, even Kabuto, and bent over, sliding his hand around Orochimaru's pale neck. He held him against the wall like that, other hand holding Orochimaru's head.

"Now, make this easy…"

Orochimaru saw his chance and initiated the genjutsu at the same instance Sasuke did.

Orochimaru's inner dimension took over even Sasuke's Tsukiyomi, and soon enough, Sasuke was being consumed by Orochimaru's soul. Sasuke looked fairly disgusted; he sliced desperately at the chunks of flesh that sought to consume him with a kunai, trying to buy some time to activate his Sharingan again. Orochimaru fought with him, loading his soul onto Sasuke in pieces and trying to hold him off.

Enormous nails pierced Orochimaru's flesh.

please 

Orochimaru tried dispelling the genjutsu; it still held, and only served to have nails driven through his hands to hold them apart. He took a deep breath and bit down on his lower lip, slicing it open and forcing blood to flow, halting all chakra flow to his brain at the same time.

That did it.

The genjutsu broke, Sasuke being too busy to concentrate too deeply on it, and Orochimaru went after Sasuke again. This time, Sasuke seemed to have far more difficulty fighting off Orochimaru, as his attacks grew more and more desperate. Orochimaru knew he was running out of chakra; there was only so much he could do, given that this jutsu cost him a tremendous amount of chakra. He had to finish this; fast!

Orochimaru sighed as he realized that there was only one jutsu he had that was stronger than this, and that it would take all of his remaining chakra. He could release an inner gate; a hidden one, that no one else had, and it would serve to give him the greatest edge anyone could ever get over an opponent. He would release the gate, and shortly afterwards he would be able to use a secret jutsu that even he had shocked himself with.

He could physically tear out another's soul, replacing it with his own, thus destroying the former soul.

Sasuke would probably fight even that, but Orochimaru knew it was his only chance. He began forming the seals to release the gate, making sure Sasuke was too busy to copy the jutsu. He felt the explosion of charka and charged forward, using the pieces of his soul to hold Sasuke in place. He could see Sasuke's eyes widen as he saw Orochimaru charging towards him, and suddenly, he felt his entire body going numb as Orochimaru's hand connected with his stomach. Then, his entire world went black.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru finally slid into Sasuke's body, feeling the restraints of his current one sliding away. His inured wrist was suddenly fine, and the blood on his mouth was nonexistent. He could hear screaming as his soul adjusted to the new body, and was surprised to find that Sasuke had extraordinary hearing as well as eyesight.

Kabuto took a step backwards.

"Which one are you?"

Orochimaru smiled and deactivated the Sharingan. "The one you love."

OOOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru had finally regained his true form after two days, and Kabuto was glad. He was sick and tired of seeing Sasuke, and only wanted his master back. The real Orochimaru, not a frightened puppy cowering behind its abusive master's legs and only praying not to be punished. It seemed Orochimaru had made a massive comeback while fighting Sasuke in his own mind; he had become the tyrannical beast Kabuto always thought of him as, and all of Otokagure was happy about it. Orochimaru had returned, and within the week, life was back to normal.

Orochimaru's hair had grown rapidly, and his facial features had grown as well to resemble his own. Kabuto had aided him with that process, and as soon as Orochimaru had his old appearance back, he had set to running the village like a dictator. Kabuto had helped him, and after all the immediate business was taken care of, Orochimaru had basically thrown a party.

It was a festival like the village had never seen before-Orochimaru had even agreed to the Sound Five's offer to shoot off fireworks when it got dark. All throughout the day he had simply wandered around, occasionally stopping under a tree to eat something. Kabuto had been with him nearly the entire time, and for dinner, he had hauled Orochimaru up to the roof to watch the sunset. Tayuya had insisted on setting off the fireworks early, but Orochimaru hardly believed it. He could have sworn he saw her strip-dancing in one tent…Jiroubou had entered a marshmallow eating contest (which Orochimaru swore he never approved) and won. Kidomaru spent his time fooling around in general, and Sakon and Ukon were taking advantage of each other's extra limbs and sparring with other ninja in a tournament. Kimimaro was with Tayuya most of the day, and Orochimaru could see they were thinking dirty thoughts.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Orochimaru was laying back on the roof, head in Kabuto's lap, and watching the fading sun. He glanced at Tayuya as she ran up to him, then sat up a bit to acknowledge her. "What, Tayuya?"

"We're doing the fireworks a little later. That okay?"

Orochimaru nodded. "About what time?"

"If everything goes well, about nine thirty to ten."

Orochimaru nodded and settled back in Kabuto's lap, letting the silver-haired genin play with a lock of his hair to amuse himself. Tayuya ran off, and Orochimaru shifted his weight onto his side.

"…Orochimaru-sama…"

"…what…?"

"…What happened…with Sasuke…?"

Orochimaru stood up, stretching his muscles and looking down at Kabuto, offering a hand down to him. Kabuto accepted it and stood up, looking Orochimaru directly in the eye the entire time.

"Nothing you need to know about," Orochimaru finally said, walking away. "Come on," he prompted, seeing Kabuto hesitate. "I'm curious as to what Tayuya is doing…"

OOOOOOOOOO

It turned out Tayuya _was _strip-dancing. Orochimaru had simply sighed, shook his head, and walked away. Kabuto had followed, but kept his distance, claiming that some questions were better left unanswered. Orochimaru had come back to Kabuto only to find him tearing off shreds of cotton candy and eating it slowly.

"Someone likes sugar?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Eat it and tell me that again."

Orochimaru shrugged. It might be pink, but it smelled like sugar…he tore off a piece and ate it, slowly chewing it. "It's like it's pure sugar…"

"It is."

Orochimaru sighed. "Well, it tastes good…"

Kabuto grinned and glanced at the various ninja lighting torches and setting them on poles to light up the darkened sky. "These will go out when the fireworks start," one said to Kabuto. "You can claim your spot over there," he continued, gesturing to a large, grassy area beyond the area in which all the stands and tents were set up. Orochimaru nodded and followed his gesture, golden eyes flickering over the hill. He glanced back at Kabuto.

"Wanna go back on the roof?"

Kabuto shrugged. "I kind of want to stay in the grass, but if you really want to, we can…"

Orochimaru nodded. "No, it's okay, we can sit here. Just wondering…"

Kabuto bit off the last piece of cotton candy and stuck his tongue out at Orochimaru's childish pout. "Funny, you," he said, throwing away the stick. "Come on, we'll stake out our little area."

Orochimaru didn't seem to mind doing so; it was about a half an hour until Tayuya used a lethal fire jutsu to set off two dozen fireworks at once. Orochimaru smiled at the thought; it would be just like Tayuya to blow something up…

"What could you possibly be thinking about?"

Kabuto had sat down next to him on the grass and was staring up at the stars, leaning back and supporting himself on his hands, set slightly behind him. He was staring up at the sky, but Orochimaru suspected he had been staring at him a moment ago.

"Nothing much…" Orochimaru started slowly. "Just Tayuya blowing up the fireworks instead of setting them off safely."

Kabuto laughed softly and lowered himself to his elbows, reclining in the soft grass. Orochimaru did the same, trying to see what Kabuto was so focused on. "What are you looking at…?"

"Just the stars," Kabuto said absently. "It's so nice to be able to just lay here and look at them for once…usually I'm too busy to come out and watch the sunset and everything, but now…"

Orochimaru smiled, and Tayuya yelled a warning as she blasted a firework into the sky. Orochimaru laughed when he saw what it spelled out:

TEST EVERYBODY KEEP LIVING YOUR LIVES!!

Orochimaru chuckled as he heard the laughing from everywhere, and Kabuto sighed.

"What's this, Firework no Jutsu?"

Orochimaru's smile broadened, and the rest of the ninja began to take their seats as the first fireworks were shot off. "No," he said softly, ignoring the people around him. "This is." he leaned over, put an arm around Kabuto, and kissed him.

A/N: Ever noticed how kiss scenes always have fireworks? Just thought it would be cute…next chapter is the epilogue, and the last one!! Thank you for your reviews, alerts, faves and support. I love you all!!


	16. Chapter 16: Birthday

Orochimaru sat quietly, in shock for the first couple seconds. Kabuto was kissing him…in front of everyone else?! Was the genin really that bold…? Aw, to hell with it, if he did it, so could he…

Orochimaru leaned in closer, wrapping an arm around Kabuto's neck and leaning deeper into the kiss. Kabuto returned the favor, and Orochimaru found their bodies pressed together on the cold ground. It was October now, and it was getting cold, so the heat was welcome. As they pulled apart, Orochimaru felt someone drape a long cloak across his shoulders. Kabuto had swung his arms around, pulling the cloak over Orochimaru.

"You have such soft skin," he whispered, holding on of Orochimaru's hands in his own and tracing the lines on his palms. "It's probably thin…"

Orochimaru shook his head, turning his hand over and lacing his fingers in between Kabuto's. "Not really. It's actually very thick…"

Kabuto smiled. "We'll see about that…later. In the meantime…" He reached down in his pocket, pulling something out. "I'm not sure if you still want this, but it looked nice." In his hand was the white-gold, ruby necklace Sasuke had given him. "It was your birthday the day you defeated him. I'm not sure if you knew, but I'm giving you something as well…"

Orochimaru took the necklace, turning it over in his hands. Should he keep it? It brought back such bitter memories, but good ones as well. And it was very pretty…

Kabuto's hand brushed his neck, stopping on the back of his neck and pulling him closer. "Gold is more your color, anyway." When pulled away, Orochimaru felt a strand of hair pulled back across his neck. He reached up to brush it away-

Only to realize it wasn't hair.

A tiny golden chain was looped around his slender neck, the smallest piece of amber embedded in the gold. Orochimaru smiled.

"What, am I really that girly?"

"No," Kabuto said. "You just look really good with a necklace on. A small one, but still…it brings more attention to your neck and shoulders, both of which are very nice." Kabuto ran his hand down the side of Orochimaru's neck, stopping at his collarbone and resting his hand there. The other hand he slipped behind Orochimaru;s neck and pulled him down, kissing him again. The last fireworks exploded, spelling out what Kabuto voiced:

"Happy Birthday…Orochimaru-sama."

**A/N: Very fluffy…I couldn't resist. And I wanted to do something for Orochi-sama's birthday…even though it's still a long way off, it just seemed like a nice thing to do and a nice place to put it. So! Review please, and I hope you liked the story!!**


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